A Predator's Heart
by Amaunet85
Summary: On Earth, he finds a baby. He returns to it each year. A bond forms and friendship grows. I won't say more because of future plot-plans. Rated T for future violence. The story's better than the summary, promise! R/R please.
1. Intro

((A/N: well, here's my shot at a Predator-based fanfic. It'll get more xenomorphs later on, I promise ;) ))

Intro.

Big strides moved the Yautja through the hospital. Corpses littered the floor and blood covered the ceiling. He didn't care. Both were just leading to his prey. Once he killed that, he would have the biggest trophy; the head of a true abomination. His nephew had started this mess, and he was going to clean up after him. It wasn't like his nephew could do that himself.

He shook his head, letting out a low growl. Even if this wasn't an abomination, or a true challenge, he'd still be here to avenge his nephew. The lad had been young, too young as it turned out. He had only just gotten off his own mission to prove himself a man when he had been stationed on the ship in which he died. But then again, it was supposed to have been a routine mission.

A small sound made Yautja whip his head around. A survivor? Surely, the abomination wouldn't have left anyone alive... He moved towards the sound, cautious as any hunter, and entered a side room. Human women with large bellies were lying on several beds, their bellies ripped open from the inside. The signs were obvious. He would have to be on the look-out for even more xenomorphs now.

Then he heard the sound again. It was a small sound, that sounded oddly happy. He slowly moved towards it. It wasn't a xenomorph. Those sounded differently. As he switched through his visors, he realised that it had to be one of those small humans. A child, he believed. He stepped around the final bed in the room, and there it was.

It was mostly covered by something, his visor told him, but it was clearly alive, judging by how the cloth moved, as if tiny feet and hands were kicking it. He bend down and lifted the cloth, revealing the soft pink flesh of the small human beneath. Before he could pull his hand away though, it was gripped by two tiny hands.

Before his disbelieving eyes, the baby pulled his hand towards its mouth and stuck a finger inside. The gum of the alien mouth felt odd against the Yautja's skin. How this little creature had managed to survive despite the xenomorphs walking around was beyond him, but he had to admit, the creature had something endearing about it.

It looked at him with bright blue eyes, as if it knew something about him that he couldn't grasp himself. For a moment, the mouth left his finger and the baby cooed again, it's entire face lighting up as it smiled up at him. The Yautja grinned a little, though only other Yautja would recognize it as a grin. This little being wasn't afraid of him. And it had somehow survived all that had happened around it.

With his free hand, he lifted the young pink thing. It seemed to turn in his arm, moving itself closer towards his chest as he held it. Head tilted to the side, he regarded the action. Cold. The creature seemed cold. He picked up the cloth he had pulled away earlier and wrapped it around the thing. The kicking the creature did quieted down then, and its body heat slowly rose.

Such fragile beings these creatures were. Some were fun to hunt. They made so many mistakes and thought they did so well. It was what made humans the perfect prey for trainees, even though the honour to be received from the kill was low. But there was no honour in killing this little thing. And deep down inside, the Yautja realised that even if he did want to, he might not be able to. It had already shown it had courage. And survival instinct.

Reaching a decision, he let out a low growl again and left the room, the bundle still in his arms. He followed the tracks he could find. Most xenomorphs were dead by now, but he would avoid the rest if he could. He only had one prey in mind. The baby didn't make a sound, but those piercing blue eyes still regarded him, tiny hands gripping the cloth tightly.

As he got higher and higher, he started to miss his canon. His visors and sensors detected xenomorphs all over the place. With one hand only, his skills were limited. His experience however, made that he was still efficient enough to take care of them. Holding the bundle protectively against him with one arm, he took out his lance with the other, making his way up the building, towards the roof, where his prey would wait.

One floor below the roof, he placed the bundle down. He could not allow himself to only use one arm in the fight that was to come. As the baby cooed at him again, he quickly put his finger on its mouth, the bundle quietening immediately. He grinned again. Brave and intelligent. He didn't quite know what he wanted with it, but he felt he wanted to ensure it's survival, to see what creature it would become as it grew. He turned from the bundle and jumped up, bursting through the roof.

--

The fight didn't last as long as he had hoped, though his opponent was worthy. The puncture wound in his chest proved that. However, he had been able to avoid the damage to be lethal. He pulled back his wrist knives quickly, the acid damaging the blades. A low whistling sound pulled his attention to the sky. Aircrafts of human manufacture. Not quiet, nor efficient. As his visor zoomed in, he could tell what they were planning.

He quickly jumped down the hole and grabbed the bundle. He jumped back up, grabbing the tail of his prey in his free hand and raced for the edge of the rooftop. He ran, harder and faster than he ever had. Jumping off the roof, he continued his sprint. As he reached the edge of town, the bomb connected with the ground. He heard the explosion before he felt it. It was a deafening sound.

Moments later, the shockwave hit him. He flew forward, clasping the bundle against his chest. Crashlanding, he rolled instinctively, keeping his body undamaged, apart from the damage it had already sustained. It left him dazed though. He shook his head roughly, trying to get himself back into focus. He looked at the bundle in his arms, feeling an odd sense of relief as he realised it was still alive.

But now that he had escaped, with his trophy and this pink thing... What was he to do with it?

--

The Yautja sat in front of his ship. He had called it in hours ago, but he had yet to board. His chest was tended to and had healed. On his lap, gleefully looking up at him, was a baby. A human baby. He didn't understand why he felt he had to protect it, or why those noises it made pulled his face into a smile without his permission. He frowned and picked the thing up.

He held it close to his face, regarding it. What was he to do with this thing? Tiny hands placed themselves on his helmet and he quickly put more distance between his head and the baby. As a result, the baby pulled an unhappy face. It's tiny lips trembled. Then there was noise. Lots of it.

The Yautja blinked in shock. How could such a small thing make that much noise? Water streamed down the babies cheeks. He believed the humans called that crying. He tried covering its mouth with a hand, but it didn't quite seem to like that either. Frustrated, he got up and started pacing, carrying the baby in one arm again. Now once again close to the warm body, the crying diminished.

Odd creature. He looked down at it as it grew quiet again. Its mouth opened widely, showing the gum and tongue inside it's mouth before closing. Little fists rubbed into its eyes before the eyes closed. It wasn't long before the Yautja realised that the child had gone to sleep, as it stopped moving around so much. Its vitals were fine though.

--

Cloaked, the Yautja stepped up to one of the houses. It had taken him several hours to get to this city, the one near his location having been whipped out after all. He detected several humans in this house, one of which being similar to the still sleeping bundle in his arms. These creatures would know how to care for it.

He uncloaked himself and the bundle and gently placed the bundle on the doorstep. It awoke then. The blue eyes met his. They were big. Not with fear, he could tell, but with something else. He reached down and gently stroked the things cheek with a finger.

"I will return for you," he promised, though to anyone listening, it just sounded like a series of clicks and growls.

"What was that?" he heard from inside the house. He cloaked himself quickly. The baby looked perplexed for a moment. Then it opened it's mouth again and started to wail. The Yautja stepped back, but froze as the door opened.

"It's a baby!" the man in the doorway said. Humans had a knack for stating the obvious. They weren't very bright. As he looked around, he looked right through the Yautja. Then he bend down and picked up the bundle. He held it to its chest and lightly bounced it up and down.

For a moment, the Yautja felt like stepping in and snatching the child back, but then a female human joined the male and took the child from him, stroking the creatures cheek where the Yautja had touched it moments ago. Only then did the baby start to quieten down a little, but as it realised it wasn't the same being that had done so moments before, the lungs kicked back into action.

"Shhhhh," the woman hissed at it, though in a calming tone. The Yautja's eyes narrowed, but then they stepped into the house and closed the door. He felt a sense of loss and remained standing where he was for several minutes, listening to the wails of the creature he had saved.

Snapping himself out of it, he turned around and marched back the way he came. He promised he'd return. He would have to anyway, as these humans still had his gun. He still needed to retrieve that. It was as good an excuse as any, but he couldn't deny the fact that he wanted to see this creature again.


	2. Chapter 1

((A/N: Thanks for the kind words

Kuraishine: you're right, he could've, but I doubt it really would've interested in. Your question will be answered in this chapter :) ))

Chapter One.

The child was now fifteen Earth-years old, to the day. Its parents were currently worrying themselves sick and would probably start searching soon. They always did, despite the fact that they knew the outcome already. He listened to the child babble, though he still understood little of the language it spoke. He had learned a lot of words by now, and he understood sentences, but not when she was rambling.

"Am I talking too fast again?" the girl asked, turning her head towards him and smiling up at him. He looked back. She still had those blue eyes. Her hair was dark blonde, nearly brown. It came to her shoulders. She was sitting against him, wearing something she called _jeans_ and the same top she wore last year. It was of Yautja manufacture and more effective than a bullet-proof vest.

He nodded briefly, and from her throat came a sound that she had described as giggle. She placed her head back onto his chest and continued, slower now, and taking more care to pronounce the words so he would understand. He hardly ever spoke back. His helmet allowed him to copy what she said, but since he would use her voice to say it, he didn't speak. He knew she'd rather have him growl at her, then talk to her in her voice.

Since he had saved her, he had come to her once every Earthen year, around her birthday. She would go with him then. Together they would spend several days, enjoying each others company. And he would train her. She was stronger than a regular human being. He suspected her to have a few strands of alien genes in her somewhere, but she was human enough to be classed as such.

The first time, he had been incredibly tense, but the child hadn't been all that much bigger than when he saved it. She had recognised him immediately. He didn't find that all that odd, as one such as him wasn't exactly a regular sight on this blue planet. He had returned the child to the womans and mans doorstep a few nights later and observed until its surrogate parents had found it again.

He had done so every year. As she grew older and learned how to talk, she had started to converse with him and taught him slowly what words to use when. He had taught her basic battle moves and techniques that, despite her lack of strength and the fact that creatures like her were incredibly vulnerable, would allow her to overcome most enemies. Certainly humans. She had started taking martial arts classes when she was only six years old, whining to her 'parents' until they had given in.

By now, she could even surprise him with her odd techniques. They fitted her though. She had to rely on agility more than strength, and originality could well mean the difference between life and death if she ever got into a real fight. He spoke to her in her voice when teaching. Movements alone weren't enough for that. She had listened to him dutifully and peacefully. He was quite sure she understood the Predator code of honour.

She had told him she had tried to convince her surrogate parents to let her go hunt, but they wouldn't allow that, as she didn't want to use guns in the hunt. She wanted to go after them with her bare hands and a pocketknife. He admired her spirit.

"Are you even listening to what I'm telling?" she asked, looking up at him again. He let out a sound she recognised as a chuckle. She knew he had been elsewhere with his mind. She often wondered what he had been thinking about then. She let out a deep sigh.

Her 'parents' had named her Jennifer, or Jenny for short. But F'gath, as his name would be using human letters, always called her Eleis or El'is. She made her friends call her that too. And everywhere she had to use her name, she would use that and not Jennifer. Her 'parents' didn't understand it, but they let it be, figuring it was just a phase.

She nudged him playfully in the side, giving him a look. He opened his mandibles slightly at that, grinning at her and emitting a low growl. She knew it wasn't a threatening one. Most of Yautja conversation went in clicks and growls. She had learned how to interpret most of his by now. He was her father, her uncle, her brother, but most of all, he was her best friend. He meant anything to her.

She also knew he wouldn't show any affection, or allow her to curl up against him as she now was, if he didn't care for her back. She didn't ask though. She didn't want to strain what they had. And she knew that what they had was very special. He nudged her back then. Being a lot more powerful, she instantly fell over. She laughed, looking at him with a big grin on her face.

He smiled back in his typical way, offering her a hand and pulling her back against him the moment she took it. He left his arm around her this time, subconsciously stroking the odd human skin beneath his fingers.

"Can I come with you some time?" she asked, "To your world I mean... Or can I meet others like you? Well.. not like you, as you're unique, but I mean like you in the way that they're Yautja too... And can we go hunt? With actual Yautja weap-"

She was silenced by his finger against her lips. She blushed lightly. She had been rambling again. Then she heard something. She nodded slowly and the finger disappeared. He turned and slid his free arm under her knees, the other still holding her shoulders. He got up with her like that, only barely giving her enough time to grab her backpack before jumping into the trees.

She suppressed a giggle as she heard the humans more clearly. She felt him activate his camouflage, turning her invisible with him. She knew her weight meant nothing to him, he could hold her like this forever. She placed her backpack on her lap, so it wouldn't move and betray their position. Looking down carefully, she could see the local people walking around, obviously searching for her.

"Jenny! Jennifer!" her fake mother called, soon echoed by her father. She did care for them, but these days of the year, she wasn't their child. Then she was who she had been when F'gath had first found her. She tried not to stick her tongue out at them. Let them search. They'd never find her. She gently placed her head against his shoulder.

She felt his gaze shift onto her. She smiled softly at where she thought his face was. A moment later she felt his helmet covered forehead lightly against hers. It was an intimate touch, as she had learned over the years, a true sign that he cared. She pressed back lightly, to let him know she understood and that she cared too.

--

El'is opened her eyes. She frowned lightly, rubbing her eyes. She was in her own bed. When had she returned here? Last thing she remembered was being in F'gath's arms as the humans searched for her. Feeling her shoulders get grabbed, she realised what had woken her; the surprised gasp of her mother.

"John! John!! She's here!" her mother called into the hallway before covering the distance between herself and El'is. She grabbed the girls shoulders and shook her roughly. "Where have you been?!"

This was an old thing. A ritual perhaps even. Each time she got home from spending time with F'gath, they would shake her and yell at her and ground her. And she'd yell back and not talk to them for days until they let it go. She would never tell them where she had been and next year it would be the same. She knew it, they knew it, but they wouldn't accept it.

El'is gave her mother a dry look. Was she really expecting an answer this time? She kept quiet, letting her mother rant on about how they had been worried, how she shouldn't do such things. On and on she went. Ever since El'is had been old enough to walk by herself, her mother didn't bother to show relief when her daughter was found again. Instead she preached and played a drama queen.

"Where have you been?!" her father started the moment he came into her room. He crossed the distance and took the shaking over from her mother. El'is let out a frustrated sigh, which only seemed to piss off her father more.

"Don't you give me that attitude, young lady!" he bellowed, letting go of her shoulders and towering over her. For some reason he thought that still intimidated her. By now El'is had learned to know better than to let someone or something scare her. Besides, if he went too far, she could knock him out in various ways with simple touches. F'gath was a great teacher. "You can't just disappear like that for days and then come back as if nothing has happened. We deserve an explanation!"

He put his hands in his sides, glaring down at her, obviously waiting for her to speak. When El'is still didn't say a word or showed any expression but the same half-bored, half-annoyed one she had been wearing since her mother came in, her mother decided to give it a different approach.

"Honey, you must understand. We were so worried about you. Every year you just disappear for days, without telling us where you've gone or why you went," she said, as if El'is was still an infant, "Jennifer, this has been going on since you were a baby. Where do they take you? What do they do to you? They don't... touch you in inappropriate places, do they?"

At that, El'is couldn't help but laugh. She could see the colour on her fathers face redden towards purple.  
"I'd expect you to be used to it by now, since it happens every year," she bit, smirking as she spoke, "I've never told you and I never will. And it will happen again. And again. And again. Nothing you can do or say will change that. And stop calling me Jennifer. You're humiliating me."

Her fathers fists were shaking now. She could almost mouth the words along as he started yelling at her.

"Don't you speak to your mother like that!" he yelled. At the edge of her vision, she could see something stir. Her eyes widened a moment and her mother looked over her shoulder to see what El'is was looking at. As she looked back though, her daughter was looking at her father again.

"I'm just stating the facts, John," El'is said dryly. Her father huffed, breathing in deeply to calm himself before turning and walking out the room. She could hear him stomp downstairs. She turned her gaze to her mother then, as usually her mother left right after to calm her father.

"We're just worried about you, dear," her mother said, sighing and sitting down on the bed. She reached for El'is' hand, but when the girl didn't react, put her hand back into her lap. "You scare us by disappearing like that. Don't you trust us enough to share where you've been and what's happened?"

"Natalie, I already told you. I'm not going to tell," El'is said in a tired voice. They had this conversation each year, and each time her mother seemed to hope for a different outcome. "Now.. I think John could use some soothing."

She couldn't have made the hint more obvious. She wanted her mother out of there. Her mother sighed, looking hurt and disappointed. El'is didn't care much right now. She knew she'd feel guilty later, but right now, she was just annoyed that her mother wasn't gone yet. Then her mother got up though and left without saying another word. The silent phase would begin now, until they backed off.

El'is got up and closed the door after her mother, turning the key to lock them out. She turned back to her room, a grin forming on her lips.

"I know you're there," she said with a giggle. Near her window, the air shimmered, soon showing the solid form of a fully grown Yautja. She moved over to him, slipping her arms around his waist in a hug. He froze and tensed as always, before slowly relaxing and putting a hand on her back.

Whenever he tensed like that, she could almost feel every muscle in his body. She knew he was a lot stronger than she could ever be, even if she did have more strength than most humans.

"I'm glad you haven't left yet," she said softly, letting go of him and backing away until she could sit down on the bed. "I don't want you to go at all. Not without me anyway. But I know you have to."

She sighed, pouting. F'gath tilted his head to the side. She always did that when she knew that what she wanted couldn't happen. She was peculiar that way. He smirked slightly. Peculiar, but interesting. He dug his hand into the small leather pouch hanging from his belt and pulled out a metal object. He moved over to her and handed it to her.

She took it and regarded it. It was a heavy ring, set with an unknown gemstone. Too big for her fingers. Too big even for his.

"A hunt-trophy?" she ventured. He nodded and she smiled broadly. To receive that from a Yautja was almost the greatest gift possible. She reached out to her nightstand, grabbing a long silver chain with a small locket on it. Her parents had given her that. She opened the chain and took the locket off, replacing it with the ring before hanging it around her neck.

"Thank you, F'gath," she said softly, bowing her head towards him slightly to show her respect for him. "I'll carry it around forever."

He grinned in his typical way and reached out, touching her cheek lightly before stepping back. The air shimmered around him and then he was gone. A moment later, her window opened. She could see his camouflaged form climb out before that too disappeared. Another trip ended, another year until she would see him again.


	3. Chapter 2

((A/N: Thank you so much for the kind words . They mean a lot to me :) I'll keep trying to update a time or two per week. ))

_Chapter Two._

El'is sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping. It had been seven years since she had last seen him. She twirled the ring he had given her even longer ago between her fingers. Seven years! Had he lost interest in her or something? She knew she should be old and wise enough to move on and forget him. Spend her birthday the way birthdays were meant to be held. But she couldn't. Each year she still wound up here, sitting on this log and waited. For two days usually.

But since she had turned seventeen, he hadn't come. The first time she reckoned her had forgotten, and spend the next few months waiting -hoping- for a sign that he was there after all. The year after, she felt heartbroken. What excuse could he have had? Then college began, and she had been too busy to worry much about F'gath. He was in her mind each day though, especially when she was training.

She had trained in several types of martial arts now, had learned how to use guns and swords, learned how to drive and learned how to fly. Each diploma had been earned by a lot of effort and sweat, with the hope that he'd finally come again and that she could go with him and hunt. She wanted to get her own trophies and spend endless adventures on other worlds.

She looked at the ring between her fingers. Had she done anything wrong? She frowned. No, their last goodbye had been a sad but a good one. He had no reason to abandon her like this. Unless he had found another object of interest. She hoped not. Most of her beliefs and morals were build on what he had taught her.

With his departure, he had crushed her world. Each year when she was disappointed again, she had promised herself she wouldn't put herself through that again. But yet, here she was, waiting again. She was about to get up and leave when she heard something behind her. It was a combination of clicking and growling.

She blinked, jumping up and quickly turning around. Before her eyes, she could see multiple shimmered forms. Barely able to conceal the hope she had and the excitement she felt, El'is inclined her head a little as a sign of respect. As she heard the clicking sounds again, she could tell that two of the three shimmered forms she detected were surprised. The middle one seemed amused at that.

The air seemed to swirl around the middle one and slowly revealed the one she had missed so much. While he was still turning back to visibility, El'is crossed the distance and threw her arms around the familiar dreadlocks. She let out a shaky sigh and buried her head to them. Strong arms moved around her back, supporting her as she hung against him. Despite the fact that she had grown, he was still taller.

She heard alarmed clicks around her. More than two for sure. F'gath let out a quick growl. She expected that he had just told them not to attack. She leaned back, smiling at her friend. He pulled one arm back, touching her cheek gently before setting her down.

"Where have you been?" she asked then, crossing her arms. He tilted his head, surprised at the sudden mood swing. Next to him, the young males he had brought with him, once again asked what they were doing here. With a simple hand signal, he silenced them. He lifted his hand to his helmet, and pointed out a series of new symbols there. He had been very busy.

"And you couldn't come by for even a single day? Seven years!" she said, though he could see the pride on her face as he pointed out the symbols on his helmet. He had hurt her feelings, he realised that. But he reckoned that would disappear once he gave her her gift and explained what he was doing here.

He held out his hand, another Yautja morphing into visibility and handing him a helmet before turning back again. The helmet was shaped to fit a human head. He had calculated to see how big it needed to be before allowing it to be made. He held it out to her. A frown crossed her face, showing her confusion. She took it and looked at it, the finger now on her middle finger, despite being much too big. He looked at it for a moment before meeting her eyes.

Not that she could see him look down, his helmet covered his eyes, but he didn't want to show her any more disrespect than he already had by being gone for so long. The Yautja that had given F'gath the helmet returned, dropping a heavy looking box onto the forest floor next to F'gath. He bend down and opened it, revealing regular Yautja gear. Only, it was too small to fit any Yautja.

F'gath grinned as he slowly saw realisation dawn on El'is face.  
"For.. me?" she asked, verifying. When he nodded, her face split into the biggest smile he had ever seen. She went over to the box and leaned down, picking up the pieces of armour inside the box.

"I should start packing, shouldn't I?" she asked, looking at him as she straightened. Receiving another nod, he saw water heap up in the corners of her eyes. He let out a small surprised growl. Had he insulted her? Hurted her? He tilted his head to the side, a bit worried now.

"No, no," El'is quickly said, "These are happy tears. Good tears."  
F'gath slowly nodded. Human ways were very peculiar, despite the fact that he knew a lot of them already.

"She looks really fragile.. Are you sure she's fit to come with us?" Vi'can asked on the right of him. He had not yet earned his first mark and was considered an adolescent, much like the other youngsters there with him. F'gath had taken it upon him to train them, but he had made it clear that he would only do that if he could train El'is as well. The girl, now an adult woman by human terms, was worthy. He had taught her basic Yautja knowledge.

He hoped that she would prove him to be right. She was fragile, but she learned quickly and she was agile. The traces of xenomorph in her blood gave her more strength and speed than regular humans had. She should do fine.  
"She's more than fit," he said decisively, "I have more trust in her succeeding than I currently have in yours."

That set the youngster back in his place. He had no right to question his leaders decision like this. He would soon learn to obey. He gave a signal to M'rid on his left, who closed the box again and took it back to the ship. He held out his hand towards El'is, handsignalling with the other.

"Three hours? Yeah, I think I can be ready by then," the Earthen woman said. "As long as I can find enough suitcases and such.. I'll need to buy some things."  
The smile on her face was proof enough. He had been forgiven.

--

Little over three hours later, El'is sat down on the bed. It was surprisingly soft. She had expected it to be hard to the touch. Yautja never seemed like creatures of comfort to her. A lot of suitcases were standing around her room. At F'gaths orders, the others had carried them inside. She had bought everything she thought she might need.

She had saved some money over the years. There was no need to keep it, so she spend it. But she still hoped she had got everything she needed. She didn't know what the Yautja world would be able to give her. She wasn't like them, after all. She dropped back, her head hitting the pillow. It was just as soft. She let out a deep, shaky breath. She was leaving her parents. She was leaving her home.

She was leaving her home world. She could hear the engines of the ship roar and it shook lightly as it started to thrust them into the air. She was scared. This was all new to her. Despite wanting it and preparing herself for it all her life, it was quite different to what she had imagined.

For starters, there were multiple Yautja here already. She had always imagined it to be just her and F'gath until they arrived at his home planet. if that's where they were going. She didn't even know that. Had she decided too soon? No. She trusted F'gath, despite his disappearance. A soft knock on the door made her sit up. She got off the bed and walked over to it, before opening it with the button that was next to the door.

Before her stood F'gath. He didn't wear his helmet this time, showing the small spikes that lined his forehead. Small dots covered his skin here and there, along with several scars. All the details hit her like a brick. She was a human. He wasn't. She would most likely never see a human again.  
"Come in," she said, trying not to show her uncertainty.

He walked into her room as she backed away from the door, closing the door behind him. In his hand, he held a small box. He opened it. Inside lay a pair of what looked like glasses, but they would cover her ears as well. He handed them to her. She put them on slowly. A series of clicks and growls emitted from F'gaths throat.

El'is blinked surprised as marks of the Yautja languages appeared before her right eye. Small enough to not be in the way completely, and big enough to read. She smiled. This would give her the meaning to understand them when they talked.

_It shook work just fine_, she read. The marks flickered a moment before fading. The glasses themselves were a very soft green in colour, but she had the feeling they had more functions too.

"They work great," she said with a grin. She sat back down on the bed, looking at her friend. Now he didn't have an excuse anymore not to reply to her. "Where were you all these years? I thought you had left me, forgotten about me..."

F'gath seemed to frown, and he tilted his head slightly. He moved over to her, sitting next to her. Her bed was softer than the others. But she was more fragile, so it was logical. He doubted she had yet realised how much work had gone into her coming here and even being allowed to come here.  
"Even if I tried that, I wouldn't be able to. I have been... occupied," he said. He spoke slowly, to let her get used to reading Yautja again. "Our race has had a busy time. My.. apologies for not returning sooner."

To hear him apologise, made El'is feel warm inside. She reached out, placing her hand on his knee. She leaned against him, putting her head on his still armoured shoulder.  
"It's alright. You're here now," she said. "Are you going to train me?"

"Yes," F'gath replied. "Like the youngsters you saw earlier. It won't be easy. I won't treat you differently. If you fail the Trials, you will be returned to Earth, if you survive."  
He turned his head towards her, looking down at her face as she looked up at his.  
"Are we clear on that?"

"We are," El'is said softly, nodding to confirm it. "I haven't forgotten your lessons. And I've learned a lot more since you left, though those are human techniques. I'll be fine."

He turned his head back, looking at the far wall. The clicks he made were almost too soft to hear at all, but the glasses picked up the sound and translated it anyway.  
"You'd better be."


	4. Chapter 3

((A/N: Glad to see you guys and girls seem to be liking this I was kinda unsure if it would be seen as good.

Elunara: yes, she's part alien. Well.. She's got some xeno-genes in her. And no, that's not a secret. But it will serve a future purpose I'm not going to give away yet :p ))

_Chapter Three._

El'is shifted her feet a little, bending her knees a bit before standing up straight again. By Earth-standards, it was now five AM. It was way too early for her taste, but she wasn't going to complain. The armour she was wearing weighed down upon her shoulders. She knew her muscles would be begging for her to relax before the day was over. Yet she looked forward to it.

She was wearing tight fitting pants and a top that seemed like a second skin to her. They were made from the same material as the top he had given her ages ago. The pants disappeared into knee-high boots. The sleeves of her top went into elbow-long gloves. Around her waist, she carried a broad belt. It had several small hidden compartments in it that would allow her to hide things in. Covering her shoulders and her chest, she had another piece of armour, the same with her elbows and knees.

She knew the armour would stop bullets for sure. She wasn't quite sure how much they could take, but from what she remembered from the few stories F'gath had told her, they could handle a lot of firepower. On her head, she wore the helmet he had given her. They had the text function too it turned out, so she didn't have to wear the glasses inside of it.

The helmet had an air-filter, allowing her to breath in almost any atmosphere. It covered most of her head, including the back of her skull. She had her hair loose, the strands coming out from under the rim of the helmet and falling down her back. When F'gath had finished the talk he was giving the Yautja youngsters lined up next to her, she decided she would pull it back into a tail. She didn't want it to get in the way of the greatest weapon she had ever come across.

Behind her shoulder armour, the same kind of gun was mounted that the other trainees had too. In her gloved hand, she was holding the same kind of spear. On her lower arms, over her top and gloves, more equipment was installed. The little computer she had seen F'gath use several times as she grew up, and the wristblades on the other. She didn't quite know how to use them yet. Well, she did in theory, but she hadn't actually used them yet.

She had a lot to learn. More than the young Yautja, both in knowledge and physically. But she knew she had other advantages. She was clever and learned quickly. She could use her smaller size to her advantage, and she knew that when she was used to all this armour, she'd be quicker and more agile than them. She grinned behind her helmet. She would make F'gath proud.

Infront of her, F'gath kept talking to each of them. She listened carefully. He knew their weaknesses and was giving them advice to how to avoid that or to turn it into her strength. Then he stood in front of her. He looked down at her and she looked back. She had the idea he was smiling, but his helmet covered his face.

"Use your size," he said, "Get used to your armour. Don't become too courageous. Weigh your decisions and be tactical."  
He reached out and patted her shoulder like he had the others, before stepping back. He looked at each of them a moment, to see if his advice would be heeded. He would be able to see it by the results.

"Two-hundred miles from here, a temple stands. In it's centre, there's an altar with three balls on it. One gold, one silver, one bronze. You will be divided into teams. Each team that reaches the temple can take one ball. The teams that return with a ball will be rewarded," F'gath said. "Teams that return incomplete are disqualified. You will have to work together. H'roth, you're with P'taw. M'rid, you travel with Be'ink. Gij'pu, your team-member is Uc'rox. El'is, you will be with Vi'can."

Immediately, the young Yautja let out a growl or protest, whipping his head around and regarding the smaller female. He clicked annoyed when F'gath continued.  
"There will be no discussion about it. You will get going. Now."

The teams set out, though Vi'can glared at El'is a few moments longer before signalling her to come brusquely. He was clearly annoyed to be stuck with her. She knew that she would have him turn that opinion around one way or the other, as she trotted after him, waving goodbye to F'gath.

The young Yautja kept a fast pace, causing El'is to have to jog along rather than walk. Having been training in running for years as well, she knew she would have no trouble doing this for hours. She hoped it wouldn't come to that though.

She could understand Vi'can's anger. He didn't know her. In his eyes, she was just a human and his leader had gone mental when he thought her worthy. He thought her pressence would mean being the losing team for sure. Well, she intended to prove him otherwise. That golden ball was as good as theirs.

Vi'can walked as fast as he could on purpose. The fact that she managed to keep up with him, and seemingly without difficulty both impressed him and annoyed him. He wanted to prove she was inferior and that she wasn't worthy to train with his race.

He glanced over his shoulder. She hung back a little, probably as not to taunt him or make him think she was. He stopped then. She blinked, but stopped as well, a few feet between them. He observed her, a series of annoyed clicks erupting from his throat. She was a good head shorter than him and he had twice the shoulder-span she had. Her build was narrow and fragile. Why did F'gath think she was worthy?

She put her hands in her sides, tilting her head up at him. Was she trying to assume command? It'd be amusing, if he wasn't so infuriated by the fact that he was stuck with her in the first place. She spoke, the alien language sounding peculiar to him. He had never heard it before.

[IWe're not going to get the price if we keep standing still,[/I he read seconds later in his helmet.

F'gath had pressed that their helmets all got that function. He wanted them to accept her and treat her like an equal. Had he ever really looked at her? It was impossible to view her as anything but far below them. He let out a series of warning clicks and growls.

"I won't get it, because I'm stuck with the likes of you," he spat.

"If we don't get it, it'd be because you didn't try. Not because I didn't," she said. He could've sworn he heard a human-laugh in her voice as she spoke. Then she was off, running in the direction of the temple. He growled angrily before following. Now he was mad at himself too. She was actually right. If he wasn't even going to try, not only would he be a loser, he'd also have lost what respect F'gath had for him. If he managed to win even with the girl...

He grinned behind his helmet. That'd truly be worth a reward. He started after El'is, running to catch up with her before taking a jogging pace that matched hers. He didn't want to admit it, but she choose the right pace. One they both would be able to keep up for quite a while, but that wasn't too slow.

"Truce?" he offered.

Her head turned towards him. She regarded him a moment as they jogged. Did she think him offering that was a sign of weakness? He frowned. Why did he care what she would think? It should be the other way around.

"How about 'Team'?" she asked after another moment. Now it was his turn to look at her. He nodded slowly. Perhaps 'team' was better than 'truce'. If they won, it would be better.

--

--

They jogged for a few hours before El'is felt she really needed a break. Her chest heaved heavily with every breath she took. The pace had dropped slowly. She was tired. And she wanted nutrition. She put her hand lightly on Vi'can's arm, gaining his attention. She slowed to a stop. She put her hands on her knees and panted heavily.

"I need a break," she said.

She had been surprised when he had agreed to becoming a team. It meant he would give her a chance. She knew she had to work hard to make him respect her though. He seemed arrogant and thought himself to be superior because she was a human. If she could change his mind about that, getting the others to understand she wasn't a mistake would be easier.

As he stopped with her, she let herself sit down against a tree. He slowly sat down with her, though opposite of the 'path' they had been following. The fact that she had been able to keep up for so long had surprised him. Her condition was a lot better than he had given her credit for. By the time she stopped, he was about ready to drop himself. Had she been an athlete on her own world?

He clicked at himself. F'gath couldn't possibly have been right. Could he? His breathing slowly calmed down. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to this human than met the eye. He observed as she looked around. What was she doing? There wasn't any danger here. It was a nearly deserted planet. Then again, what didn't pose a threat to him, could still pose a threat to her.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. She looked back at him. Sometimes he didn't like helmets. It hid expressions.

"A source of water. I don't want to get dehydrated. I don't know how much fluids Yautja need every day, but I need about two litres of it," she said. He seemed far more open to her now. Or at least, he allowed himself to be curious. That was a big change already. "I can hear a stream not too far away."

"Then we'd best head for that and take our break there," Vi'can said. He heaved himself up again. His sensors picked up the stream with ease. She didn't have her helmet set to reading heatsignatures, did she? Was she following normal sight? He had never bothered to listen to the sounds of water when in need of it.

As he started walking, he heard her get up too. Moments later she was walking next to him. It only took them a few minutes to reach the stream. It flowed through the forest, meandering between trees, small as it was. The water was clear, but he scanned it for chemicals anyway. By her hesitation, he could see she did the same.

El'is kneeled down next to the stream, then took her helmet off. He looked at her face as he sat down against a rock near the water. The soft pink skin looked smooth. The hair was much like his own, only a lot thinner. Before his eyes, she pulled it back and tied it together with a piece of fabric. It looked odd to him. Yautja hair was so thick, he didn't have to worry about it getting in his face, but hers grew on top of her head. A few strands that didn't get held by the fabric still fell in her face.

She brushed them aside and cupped her hands, scooping up water and drinking from her gloved hands. She did this several times before sitting back. She looked at him then. He forced himself not to look away. He hadn't been staring. And watching wasn't illegal.

"Shouldn't you drink something too? We shouldn't stay too long before going again. There's far too much daylight to set up camp already," she said. She took her waterskin and held it underwater, filling it completely.

He nodded and got up, doing the same before drinking the way he had seen her do. It was a much better way to drink than putting his entire head in the water. Perhaps he could learn something from her after all.


	5. Chapter 4

((A/N: once again, thanks for all the kind, encouraging words .

Peya Luna: She got her xeno-genes from the Predalien, so technically, she has a few Yautja-genes as well. She got them as he impregnated her mother while she was about to give birth. In a later chapter, I'll write it out in detail. :) ))

_Chapter Four._

Had it been Earth, she could've said it was raining cats and dogs. Here, on this odd planet, the term didn't quite fit, as her companion didn't know what cats and dogs were. As soon as they noticed the rain was sour enough to cause Vi'can's skin to rapture, they had sought shelter in the cave they were in now.

It was a small comfort that this meant the other teams had to be stranded also. El'is' skin and clothes weren't affected by it, but she didn't like the idea of being in it for long either way. Though he had offered that she could go ahead, she had decided against it. She wouldn't leave him behind. She had said that it was because they'd be disqualified if she happened to return too quickly.

Using a little of the Earthen ointment she had taken along for wounds just like this, she had treated the tear in his arm. It looked incredibly painful, and judging by his small clicks and growls while she treated him, it was. She took out a roll of bandages. He tilted his head to the side and regarding her. What did she need the cloth for? Before the ointment, she had rubbed something else into it. A clear liquid that had made him actually growl out loud in pain. She said it was to disinfect, when he held her neck in his hands. He had thought it to be an under-the-belt attack.

The wound stung, though whatever she had rubbed on it seemed to soothe it and take part of the pain away. At first he had thought that her taking hold of his arm was just out of curiosity, but then she had started treating it. He had let her, figuring she wouldn't be able to do anything anyway.

She slowly and carefully rolled the roll of cloth around his arm, forming what looked like a bandage. Was she actually bandaging him? But why? Why did she care? Yautja didn't usually take care of one another, unless they cared. Well, and the medical staff, but that was a different matter. He watched as she hooked a tiny bit of cloth with iron tips on the bandage, holding it in place.

"There, that should do it," she said as she sat back. She hadn't exactly liked the look of his injury. It looked painful and it screamed the word infection before it even bled. The colour of his blood had surprised her. It actually glowed in the dark. She didn't reckon they knew how easy their blood made it to track them. She would have to tell F'gath about that when they returned.

Now that she had backed off, he took his wrist in his other hand and looked at the bandage. She had done quite a good job. He tilted his head slightly, regarding her over his arm. She seemed to be full of surprises. He didn't quite know if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Thank you," he said softly, turning his head to look outside. He didn't like saying that. Gratitude meant he owed her something. A debt to a human... The others would laugh. Then again, with Yautja healing-rate, it should be healed before they returned. And that meant no one had to know. He disregarded that fact right away. He couldn't lie in his report. She probably wouldn't, and if he was caught lying...

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling behind her helmet. She didn't know she had interrupted his dark thoughts. She didn't think he'd thank her, but apparently he was more mature and honourfull than she had first expected. F'gath did a pretty good job teaming them together. He might not like her, but Vi'can would let his honour stop him from doing anything F'gath would disapprove of.

She looked around the cave. She reckoned they would spend the night here. She felt a little cold. She should've brought a blanket. Yautja's had lower body temperature than humans. She didn't think Vi'can would have any problem. As if realising what she was doing, the youngster spoke up.  
"I'll take first watch," he said, "You can take third. We'll skip second by walking the hours we've lost because of the rain."

--

A hand gently squeezed her arm. El'is sat up right away. A dull _clunk_ sounded as two helmets clashed. She blinked behind her helmet, especially when she heard the Yautja equivalent of chuckling emitting from the one that woke her. She joined in with a giggle though.

"Sorry about that," she apologised good naturedly. "Is it time to go?"

He nodded and got up. She scrambled up after him and dusted herself off. She looked outside. It was still pitch-black. As she switched between visual options, the darkness slowly made way for echo's and heatsignatures. The forest was full of life, mostly small. She followed Vi'can as he stepped outside. It was dry again now.

The forestcritters emitted all kinds of sounds. Some sounded birdlike or shuffling sounds of small creatures that were looking for food on the forest floor. Other sounds she couldn't identify, nor could she imagine the shape of those creatures. They walked fast, but they didn't jog like the day before. She was grateful for that; her muscles still lightly ached from that.

"Is this your first trip off-world?" Vi'can asked suddenly. As she looked back at him, she realised he must ahve been looking at her for a while now. She felt herself blush. Luckily, he couldn't see that through her helmet. She nodded.

"Humans haven't developed real space-possibilities yet," she said, "We've got satellites and a spacestation, but we can't get any further than our moon."

He let the news sink into him. She had never been to another planet, or even off her own world. Yet she had seemed eager to follow F'gath and she didn't seem afraid at all. He had seen his share of aliens, even if he was yet to hunt them. Was she careless, or courageous?

"Didn't you feel cramped, between all those Earthlings?" he asked. Earth was known as a very crowded planet. He knew for a fact that he himself wouldn't be able to stay there all that long. Not without going on a killing-spree at least.

"When it's all you've ever known, you don't know what you miss," El'is said with a shrug. She found it amazing what an advantage these different sights gave her. She would be walking blindly if she didn't have them. She looked up at her taller companion, who was now looking ahead again. "I longed to be away from it all, but it didn't exactly became a concrete plan, as I didn't think it'd ever happen."

"You must've made quite the impression on F'gath. He persuaded the entire council to let him train you," Vi'can revealed, "Otherwise he wouldn't train the rest of us. He's a respected warrior, but the council deems him mad to want to try."

El'is frowned. He had gone through so much trouble because of her? It already made the seven years of waiting worth it though. She loved this, the sense of urgency, the haste, the adventure. All the new things she would never have even come close to on Earth. The amazing tools and equipment she had now... It was all hard to believe, but it was wonderfull.

"And what do you think?" she asked, still looking at his helmet. She couldn't see his emotions, but she always found it rude if you asked someone something and then didn't seem to listen to the answer. He looked back at her a moment before looking ahead again. He remained silent for a while, making El'is wonder if he perhaps hadn't heard him after all.

"I do not know," the youngster admitted eventually, "They might be right, they might be wrong. You're.. interesting.. I'll give you that, but whether or not you're worth it? I'll have to see proof of that."

El'is admired his honesty. She doubted many would've gone through the trouble to be honest. She could understand him though. She wasn't of his race or even his world, and her race didn't exactly have the reputation that it was bright and worthy.

"I'll proof it by showing you a xeno's corpse," she said solemnly. Killing a xeno was the ultimate test to prove themselves worthy to be considered mature. If she made it through the training, she would be put to that trial. And if she made it through that, she would've proven herself worthy. That's how she saw it anyway.

"That'd be a sight that would truly be worth seeing," Vi'can said, "If you get to take them, I expect that I'll be taking them with you."

He turned towards her, regarding her with what she felt was an intent look as his fingers lightly trailed over the fabric of the bandage she had wra

"If they don't believe you've killed it yourself, I'll stand by you."

"Thank you," El'is said, truly feeling grateful. "I won't forget that."

She didn't mean that like she would rub it in his face, or keep him to him, but the offer meant a lot to her. She felt his hand on her shoulder, a sign she knew to be respect. She reached up with her hand and put her hand over his, to return the sign.


	6. Chapter 5

((A/N: yes, I think there'll be tons of chapters before I reach the end. I've never had so many plot ideas in my life. Then again, the Yautja universe offers a lot of possibilities . I'm glad you guys and girls are enjoying this.

Peya Luna: here's part of your answer already. It's not the full story, nor the full truth. But that's the bit I'm going to work into a later chapter. ))

_Chapter Five._

It ended up being late morning before they took another break. They hadn't talked much after their previous conversation. It had given them both a lot to think about. The forest had given way to an open plain. Tall grass waved in ripples as the wind passed over it, sometimes giving a low whiny sound that El'is would expect to find in a haunted house.

The grass itself was a green-blue in colour. Overall the planet was very Earth-like, but the colours were different, as were the creatures. El'is had to admit it was amusing that humans believed themselves to be alone in the universe. That was one of the facts why humans weren't exactly dubbed as bright and intelligent.

She let her gloved hand flow over the grass as they walked through it. Vi'can seemed more relaxed around her. She was grateful for that. He didn't treat her as below his notice anymore, though she knew she hadn't earned his trust nor any real respect just yet. But he had put faith in her, making that promise about standing by her.

"When do Yautja start training for hunting?" she asked, tilting her head lightly as she regarded her companion. She had often wondered as F'gath trained her, when he had started training and when he had become a man by Yautja standards. She knew how that went, but she had never been able to hear that story from him as he couldn't speak her language often.

She grinned behind her helmet. Now that wasn't a real problem anymore. Aside from some grammatical errors, this translator in her helmet worked perfectly. He could tell her about his many hunts and his many preys. She would adore hearing all of that. Perhaps she'd be able to hunt those preys in the future herself.

"When we're old enough to walk," Vi'can said. "We learn to track and how to hide our own tracks first. You might be able to fight and defend yourself all you want, but when you're invisible, you can stalk in peace. Then comes combat-practice."  
He shrugged a moment.  
"That's the short version. What do humans do when they grow up?"

"It depends on the person," El'is said. "I learned the basics from F'gath as I grew up when he was there. When I was old enough, I took classes in martial arts and other things like that. But other people learn how to play an instrument, or dance, or lots of other things. Our race isn't focussed on one goal."

Vi'can nodded to show he understood. The hunt was the most important thing to his race. The entire civilisation was build on it. Even the engineers were ranked by the honour they had gained in hunts. Only the females escaped that, but they had a different way to decide who was to lead.  
"What are martial arts?" he asks. The translator had translated the words, but it meant nothing to him as such.

"Martial arts are fighting sports. There's different types, but it basically comes down to hand-to-hand combat," El'is explained, making sure to use terms he'd understand. "I've got several medals in it too. I think it's because I'm not one-hundred percent human... I'm stronger than most, and faster, especially in my reaction-time. Humans need about one or two seconds at the least before they can react."

Vi'can frowned. Not one-hundred percent human? Now that was something F'gath had never told the council. He could know, he had listened in.  
"What other than human are you then?" he asked, his helmet scanning her. She was right. He had seen humans. Her DNA was slightly different. The difference seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite unravel the mystery.

"From what F'gath explained, there's only one way for me to have become alien. When my mother was about to give birth to me, the predalien impregnated her with xenomorphs," El'is said, unaware of the sudden tensing of the Yautja walking next to her. "As a result, the womb-water I was in was infected, and with it me too. But since I was fully grown already, it didn't contaminate me much. My mom birthed me before the chestbursters were born, otherwise they would've just torn me apart. I think she was still conscious then, because F'gath found me in a crib and not between her legs."

As she looked at him, he forced himself to relax. She was an abomination. Human, xenomorph and Yautja. Mostly human, but still a combination of all three. He shuddered involuntarily. He supposed it wasn't her fault though. And the xenomorph component of her certainly didn't have the overhand. That was good at least. He knew what had happened between F'gath and the predalien, and how the warrior had found the human baby and what he had done with it. That was a well-known fact. But that he had neglected to tell the council the minor detail of her having predalien genes in her...

"Are you alright?" he heard her ask. "I didn't mean to spook you... I'm not the creature that infected my mother and killed her."  
When he focussed his vision on her again, he could tell by her pose that she felt she had to defend herself. And possible anger too.

"The predalien was an abomination," Vi'can said. His voice sounded colder than before. "F'gath neglected to tell the council you carry its genes."  
He didn't see her press her lips together tightly behind her helmet, but he noticed the heat rising in her cheeks. Was she embarrassed?  
"I'm sure he had his reasons. They would never have allowed you to be trained if they knew," he said. He fingered the bandage again subconsciously. "I won't tell for now. Once you've taken the trials, you should've earned enough respect not for them to put you down when they learn of it."

El'is blinked. He wasn't going to turn her in? Or F'gath? She put her hand on his arm a moment and squeezed it lightly. It was a human gesture, but she didn't know, other than the words, how Yautja thanked one another.  
"Thank you," she said softly. "I never meant to cause F'gath any trouble. Or anyone else for that matter. I'm really happy with this chance. It'd suck if everything went wrong just because I've got a few alien genes in me, even if they do allow me to kick butt properly."

Her simple phrasing caused him to chuckle lightly. Her view on things was quite refreshing. She seemed rather naieve and innocent, but he doubted she was a push-over.  
"Let's jog for a while," he said, picking up the pace. He was quite comfortable with the way they were going. Since he didn't feel tired, they had agreed that she'd take the watch tonight, and that they would spend the rest of the time travelling.

They spend their time either walking to regain strength or jogging until they felt tired enough to walk again. El'is easily kept up with him. Now that he knew she had alien genes in her, he also understood why she was able to keep up with him like this. If they were racing, she might even be able to outrun him. Yautja were more powerful, but xenomorphs were fast. The predalien had had both qualities.

"How far do you think the other teams are?" she asked as they ran. As always, her feet barely touched the ground and she had a steady rhythm as she ran. He matched her pace for pace, though his steps were heavier. She was starting to get used to her armour now, so she doubted it would slow her down anymore. Not for long anyway.

"That depends on what they do during the night," Vi'can said. "And the way they choose to travel. Not many Yautja enjoy running or jogging. But on the other side, we don't need as much sleep as humans."  
He didn't mean it as a low blow, judging by the tone of his voice. He was just being honest.

"Then, if we keep this pace and this pattern, we should be travelling the fastest," El'is said satisfied. She smiled. That golden ball would be theirs yet. Her companion nodded.

"We're not that bad a team," he admitted. It'd take some time for him to accept that she was part abomination though.

El'is regarded the sleeping form a few feet away from her. She was shivering slightly. It was cold at night. She should see if she could make her clothes more isolating. Sure, the Yautja would have a technique for that. She stopped her thoughts on the cold. F'gath had taught her that if she kept thinking about something that bothered her, it would only bother her more.

Vi'can looked more than uncomfortable. His pose was tense, despite his deep breathing. Aside from that, he didn't make any noise, like he expected to be hunted himself. El'is agreed that the luxury of deeming oneself safe was unto those that didn't hunt, but she couldn't help but relax when she slept.

She had been sitting there for almost three hours now. Only a few minutes before she would wake him up and head off again. Vi'can made her promise she wouldn't allow him to sleep longer than that. El'is didn't quite understand how he was able to last on that little sleep after two days of mostly jogging. He gave her about six hours before he woke her, and that was still too short to her liking.

She had told him about her genes two days ago. They had been making good time and had covered a lot of distance. He still acted a bit odd towards her, but the more she thought about it, she couldn't really blame her. She was a mixture of races and though one of those was his own, the other was their favourite prey. She hadn't brought the subject up again and the effect it had had on him finally seemed to lessen.

She hoped that her genes wouldn't stop him from becoming her friend. She liked him. He might be rash and have a bit of an ego, but he was also just and he wouldn't do anything that jeopardised his honour. She got up and reached over, but moments before she touched him, he already stirred before rolling onto his back and getting up. When he looked at her, she could swear he was grinning.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked, getting up and crossing her arms. He made a chuckling sound as he got to his feet as well, looking around the small cave they were in now. He glanced outside, then finally looked back at her. Her pose betrayed she was tired. Perhaps making her keep watch wasn't such a bright idea. But he did need some sleep, even if it wasn't much. And since they spend the rest of the day jogging, she could catch the six hours that were the minimum of what she needed.

"A little bit. Don't you have anything to do other than stare at me?" he asked. She could practically hear the grin in his voice as the symbols appeared before her eyes.

"It's not like I've had the opportunity to view your people's sleeping cycle often," El'is defended herself, "And staring outside would get boring. There's not much life around here."

He nodded, and she could see him tense again. Was she missing something important? She looked outside as well. It still looked as quiet as before. She blinked, mentally slapping herself. How had she not noticed? Quiet in a forest was never good. It meant there was something that kept the critters away. Her heatvision or echovisor didn't pick anything up though.

"Let's go," Vi'can said, exiting the cave like an animal expecting to be jumped. It didn't exactly allow El'is to relax. If he was this tense, something had to be up, right? As they started jogging again, the pace was faster than before. They both had the hope that it would be nothing and that they'd hear forest-sounds again soon. Vi'can because he doubted El'is would be of any help in combat, El'is because she didn't want anything to ruin this adventure.

A deafening roar made them both stop so quickly they nearly crashed into the trees. Not making a sound, they both flipped through all the visible spectrums their helmets had as they looked around. Nothing. El'is bit her upper lip in concentration. How were they supposed to watch out for something they couldn't see?

Carefully, they started walking again slowly. A glimmer at the edge of her vision made El'is whip her head around. She gasped, causing Vi'can to look in her direction. She wasn't aware of it though. Less than a hundred feet away, a creature too big to be completely in her vision stood. How it had escaped their notice before was beyond her, until it started to move.

The creature didn't radiate heat and as when it stood still after a few steps, it looked one with the forest. She made a few handsignals towards Vi'can, not wanting to get too much of the creatures attention.

_Run for it_, she signed. She heard a confirming grunt before she heard him starting to run.

The creature immediately started to move towards them. It was a lot faster than his shape seemed to allow. El'is cursed and turned around, sprinting to catch up to Vi'can. It didn't take her long. He could jog, but sprinting really wasn't a talent of his people. She tried not to urge him along, the small growls he was making sounded annoyed enough.

As they ran, she disconnected her helmet. The only vision her helmet didn't have was her normal vision. She slid it off her head. As she looked over her shoulder, her eyes widened. The creature seemed literally made of twigs and branches, with patches of dark red coloured moss here and there. She swallowed, looking back ahead.

"I knew this wouldn't be easy, but isn't this a bit out of our league?" she asked as they ran. The creature was slowly advancing on them. The steps sounded closer, though it was the creaking of the branches that gave her the creeps.

"It is. But if we didn't notice before, there's no reason why our scanners would've picked them up," Vi'can said. He started typing into the computer on his wrist. A small red light started flashing on it as he closed it again. "I've send an emergency signal. It's too big to take down without a canon, and since we're not allowed to have those yet..."

She could hear the panting in his voice. He was getting tired already. This wasn't a pace he would keep up for long.

"Do we have anything to make fire?" she asked. She could practically see the frown on his face as he looked at her. She gave him a dry look. "That thing is made out of wood. Wood burns, you know..."

He looked back. His visors didn't identify it as such, but a thorough scan did give the creature a similar genetic code as that of trees on Earth. He reached to his back, pulling out the small emergency box they both had. He pulled out the burner that came with his and handed it to her. She grinned, revealing the white teeth in her mouth.

Despite the situation, he couldn't help but notice just how different she was. The hair, the eyes, the lips... No mandibles, more teeth but less sharp. She was an odd creature. Intreguing though. He was starting to see what F'gath liked about her. Like this idea about fire. Despite being a hunter, he never would've thought of that.

She took the burner from him, handing him her helmet in return. She looked back once more before skidding to a halt.

"I'll only be a moment," she called to him as he slowed down too. She then ran towards the creature. She heard him growl something, but without her helmet, she didn't understand what he was on about.

Within moments, the creature had reached her. She swallowed. He was a lot bigger than he had looked. She quickly activated the burner and pushed it into him as she ran passed. A claw made of twigs hit her in her back, sending her flying. She yelled both in surprise and pain, but rolled instinctively as she landed, avoiding breaking any bones. She could feel her back bleed where it wasn't covered in armour.

She shook her head a little to clear it again and looked at the creature. The burner was doing its work. Flames climbed through it's body. It shrieked in pain, turning this way and that, but not able to put the flames out. If anything, he only gave them more oxygen. Vi'can had disappeared from sight, she expected him to be cloaked somewhere. He didn't seem like a coward.

The shrieks coming from the creature soon started to sound desperate, until it fell over. It lay between the trees, trashing wildly. El'is scrambled up, wincing and nearly deciding to sit down again when she felt a hand holding her elbow. Looking to her side, she noticed the typical shimmered version of a Yautja male. Judging by his height and width, it was Vi'can.

He handed her her helmet and waited until she had put it on before saying anything.

"That was an amazing job," he complimented. She smiled inside her helmet. Together, they watched the creature burn and die. Miraculously, the trees around the creature didn't seem to catch flame. A scan revealed them to have other components though.

"How bad does my back look?" El'is asked. He looked back for a moment. Her blood was warm and red, clearly visible to him.

"It needs disinfecting. Possibly closing. It's not too bad," he commented before looking ahead of them. Both of them froze when they heard another roar, much like the one this pile of ashes had made when it first appeared. Then another. And another. They both cursed.

Before they could spot any of them though, another sound was heard. The engines of the shuttle made a lot of noise, but El'is had never welcomed it as much as now. Hovering an inch above the ground, the hatch opened. Quickly, the youngster and the human made their way towards it, though Vi'can stopped a moment to retrieve the burner. As soon as they were inside, the shuttle rose above the trees, out of reach from the walking tree-giants.


	7. Chapter 6

((A/N: lol. I assure you, they might look similar to Ents, but they're very different. They'll return in a later chapter. You'll see it then ;) )) 

_Chapter Six._

El'is winced slightly as some smelling very awful was rubbed into the wounds on her back. She held her arms crossed in front of her breasts, but even with that, she gained a lot of unneeded attention. She reckoned she could understand why. After all, even human skin was very different from Yautja skin.

Right after they had come on board, F'gath had set out to pick up the other teams as well, muttering and ranting about the idiot that had send them to this planet. Though the other teams were busy running from the creatures as well, the only one that really got injured was H'roth. He was lying on the treatment table next to the one El'is was sitting on. He kept moaning and groaning occasionally, several bandages around his torso and waist keeping him from bleeding too much.

"Will he be alright?" she asked the medic treating her. She had learned his name was Wi'nth. She was wearing the glasses and he his helmet to be able to communicate with one another. El'is hoped she'd some day be good enough to understand what they were saying without needing the glasses. Or that they'd understand her without the helmet.

"He'll be fine," Wi'nth assured, starting to wrap bandages around her. She could tell how curious he was, sometimes his fingers lingered on her skin as if wanting to explore the texture of her skin. He had already asked her if he could do a full bodyscan, but she had reclined for the time being. She wanted to talk to F'gath first, about her genes.

As if reading her thoughts, F'gath entered the medical bay then. He looked at H'roth first, then at the medic, before his gaze rested on El'is. Creatures like that were not meant to be for beginners, but he was proud of El'is resourcefulness. She had managed to take it down by thinking rather than trying to combat it.

"We're heading back to the ship," he notified them. "How is the young one?"  
His gaze flashed over to H'roth to show who he meant before he looked back at El'is. She could see how content he was with what she managed to pull off. She smiled at him, lightly blushing.

"He'll need a bit of rest, but he'll be on his feet tomorrow," the medic said, "I'm more worried about his ego."

F'gath nodded, walking over to them and halting in front of El'is. He noticed a chain hanging around her neck, the object that pulled it down hidden beneath her arms. He knew what it was though. She wore the ring he had given her years ago that. He smiled and gently placed his hand on her knee.  
"And this one?" he asked, looking at the medic.

"Her back is ripped," Wi'nth said, "We can't use our powders on her. At least, not without testing the effects first. She'll need-"

"I'll be back on my feet tomorrow," El'is said decisively. She heard a grunt from behind her. Wi'nth didn't like being interrupted, nor did he like his patients going against his will.

"It's not deep, even if it starts to bleed again, I won't die. It'll just ache a bit," she protested, "I've had worse."  
That gained both of their attention. F'gath tilted his head to the side questioningly and the medic stopped his attentions for a moment before starting to tie the bandage so that it'd stay in place.

"I entered a Thai-boxing tournament once," El'is revealed, "Just to see how far I could come. The guy cheated and had put the glass on his feet too. He kicked my back, ripped it open. Lots of blood and such. But I was still there to fight my second match the next morning after winning."

F'gath blinked. He wasn't wearing his helmet, but he could understand her.  
"What is Thai-boxing?" he asked, mimicking her voice and words as he spoke. The word was alien to them, as much as the concept of what she described. Glass in a battle?

"It's a fighting sport. You can use your fists and feet to kick or hit the other in several places. When you're into a very serious match, you get bandages around your hands and you dip those in a sticky fluid. After that you dip them into glass-shards to do extra damage," El'is explained, "It's considered a dangerous sport and it's illegal in most countries."

F'gath nodded slowly. Yautja weren't the kind of creatures to fight one another in a contest. Humans were odd creatures and they did that, but it surprised him that El'is had. She had said she only did it to see how far she could come though.

"How far did you get?" he asked and she smiled brightly at him. She had figured he would disapprove, but apparently it wasn't a total disaster. Her reason had been a good enough excuse.

"I won," she said. "But then again, Thai-boxing is great in combination with several other martial arts. They have techniques to make you ignore pain and other physical conditions."

Wi'nth stepped aside as he finished the bandages.  
"I won't order you to stay in, but be careful. We don't have many resources that fit your kind," he said. His voice was a bit tight. She reckoned that he actually did disapprove, despite her victory.

"Thank you," she said politely. She hopped off the table and grabbed her shirt, slipping into it again before lifting her armour and looking at F'gath. "Can we talk?"

The Yautja warrior nodded and lead the way. He took her to a small room in the shuttle. She thought it had to be an office. He sat down in the only chair and looked at her. As she looked around for a place to sit, he grabbed her waist and pulled her onto his lap.

She yelped, then giggled, dropping her armour onto the floor. She shifted to get comfortable and placed her head in the crook of his neck, relaxing almost instantly. She told him what had happened exactly with the creature and the days before. She went into detail when it came to her genes and Vi'cans reaction. As she did so, she felt him stiffen slightly under her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know they didn't know," she ended softly. He leaned his head to the side, resting his cheek on top of her head.

"I should've told you," he admitted, "It's best not to tell anyone just yet, like Vi'can said. Not until you've passed the trials. Once you carry the mark, it won't matter that much to everyone. They'd probably see your genes as the reason you succeeded, and might even be proud that you carry Yautja-genes in you too."

El'is smiled, closing her eyes. She felt comfortable with him. He was the only male she had ever truly felt comfortable around.  
"Go to sleep," F'gath said, feeling her get heavier against him. "I'll take you to your room once we're in the ship again."

"But-"

"Sleep. You'll need it," he said, raising his hand and lightly running it through her hair. He sat there as she fell asleep, not minding this odd creature to be with him like this at all. He would need to talk to Vi'can after tucking her into bed though.

--

F'gath looked down at the sleeping woman. She had curled up slightly when he had put her down. He had taken of her shoes before putting the blanket over her. She hadn't woken. She must've been more tired than she admitted. He smiled. She wanted to prove herself so badly, she wanted to make him proud. She didn't get that his very existence already did that though.

He reached down and gently touched her cheek before backing away. He turned down the lights before leaving. Closing the door behind him, he breathed in deeply, pulling the air of command around him again. She made him weak. He knew that, but he didn't mind that as long as no one else knew. He growled lightly at himself. Such things were dangerous. But in time, she would be more than fit enough to look after herself. At least physically if not emotionally.

He shook his head a moment before starting to walk. Vi'can should be in his quarters. If not, F'gath would summon him to his. Words were needed. If the youngster betrayed El'is' genes before the trials, both their lives would probably end. He wasn't interested in dying just yet. He had worked too long and too hard.

As he arrived at Vi'can's quarters, he knocked. Almost immediately, he was told to enter. Vi'can knew not to keep his superiors waiting, even if he didn't know it was F'gath who was there. But by the look on the youngsters face, F'gath knew he had been expected. The door barely closed behind him before Vi'can spoke.

"How could you not tell the council?" the youngster asked, sounded as shocked as he was about that fact. He tilted his head to the side before rising from the chair he had been seated in. "If they find out, they will kill her."

F'gath nearly blinked, but reigned himself in just in time. The youngster cared. El'is had obviously impressed him. Good. That would make this a whole lot easier.  
"Then it's in both our interests not to have anyone know, isn't it?" he asked, "Or does the council know you listen in on them?"

Vi'can had the decency to avert his gaze and look down. A hint of a blush made it's way onto his face before he looked back.  
"I already gave her my word," he defended himself weakly.

"I want your oath, not just your word," F'gath said, raising himself to his full height. "El'is has what it takes to become one of our greatest warrior. She'll live upto my expectations for her. You've been around her. You know that as well as I do."

"She's fragile and weak," Vi'can retorted. "She's got courage and a sharp mind, but with that alone, she can't hunt."

"She's got techniques, and that brigh mind of hers saved your life today," the warrior replied, trying to remain calm. He didn't like anyone insulting El'is like that. "You owe her your life. She'll make it through the trials with ease. Then it won't matter anymore. But until then, give me your oath."

It was hardly a request. Vi'can could hear the threat in F'gath's voice. Would his superior go as far as to gain his oath the hard way? It seemed that way. His eyes narrowed a little. He cared too much for the human. Far more than was healthy. Yes, she was intriguing and kind, but he was betraying his race just for the slight possibility that she might be able to pass the trials.

"You have it," he nearly hissed. F'gath nodded, grinning satisfied and left without another word, leaving the youngster with his dark thoughts. Had F'gath lost his mind? Had he betrayed his people? And if so... what should he do? He couldn't just tell the council about this. They didn't know he listened in on them. He respected F'gath. He was a great warrior and had earned his honour many times over.

He knew El'is had potential. The girl showed an insight that was as alien to the Yautja as the human herself was. But that didn't give F'gath the right to lie to his people like that. He had pulled all possible strings to get El'is with him. And El'is adored him.

Vi'can growled, sitting down on his bed. There was nothing he could do. For now. He didn't want the human to die just yet. And who knew.. if she made it through the trials, it'd be an enormous accomplishment. She would've earned her place then.


	8. Chapter 7

((A/N: Denial is always fun. But who exactly is denying what:p And who was behind the mess up? You won't find out everything in this chapter, as that would ruin the story XD ))

_Chapter Seven._

El'is leaned her head to the side, narrowly missed by the fist that flew through the air. Her opponent was none other than M'rid. Young and full of adrenaline, the Yautja was strong and fast. El'is was happy to notice her reflexes were quicker than his fist. She was afraid to tell anyone, even F'gath, but it was like she felt the movement through the air. It wasn't exactly feeling the air, it was the sound she felt.

From what F'gath had told her, the xenomorph saw things that way. She suspected her alien genes to be waking up. It wasn't just the viewing things by sound. She also noticed that her regenerating ability had sped up. Perhaps it was the adventure, or the fact that she was amongst those of which she also carried a genetic marker, she didn't know. It made her feel great, but at the same time, it scared her.

It had been a week since the tree-men incident. Some of the youngsters had started to accept her, though she knew H'roth carried a grudge. He was upset because she had managed to kill what had injured him so badly, and he hadn't even scratched it. P'taw had stopped glaring at her and M'rid actually sat with her during the meals.

She had noticed that M'rid didn't have a very ruthless nature. He saw amusement in everything, and the way he saw the human woman was no different. He didn't joke at the expense of her though. If anything, he made more jokes towards the others. It didn't help with H'roth, but El'is expected the jokes to be the reason P'taw was warming up too.

She leaned her head to the other side, avoiding the other fist. It was almost as if everything around her was moving in slow-motion. She grabbed his fist and turned her back to him, bending forward and pulling. The much heavier Yautja flew over her, landing roughly on his back, El'is still holding his hand.

"Where the flip did you learn that?" M'rid asked, his head tilted backwards as he looked at her. She couldn't see his face through his helmet, but the surprise at her action was very audible in his voice.

"It's a move I learned on Earth. It's from a sport called Judo," she said, grinning down at him. She let go of his arm and let him get up. "I use your own movement and bodyweight against you that way."

"Can you teach it to me?" he asked then. She blinked, and the shock she felt at receiving a question like that from a Yautja must've been visible, for M'rid started chuckling. "It's a good move. Of course I want to be able to do it."

El'is smiled. They were in one of the many training rooms the ship held, alone. Since they had started to get along, they had started sparring too. M'rid had made no lie about his reason. He wanted to know what she was capable of. El'is merely wanted to learn whatever he could teach her.

--

By the time M'rid had fully understood the technique, both were sweaty and tired. Their backs hurt from the continuous tries on one another. They were both in a good mood though. They headed to the bathing rooms. Females rarely came onto this ship, but they still had a room for themselves. El'is was grateful for that. She didn't think she could stand having them see her without anything on just yet.

"You're reflexes are improving," M'rid commented, looking sideways at her. She was fun to be around, despite not being of his own race. She had a dry sense of humour about her. He didn't know a lot of people with that. It nearly matched his own. The others didn't want to give her a chance to, well, not yet anyway, but she could teach them all a lot. Using your opponents weight against him while throwing him? Simply brilliant.

"How about you start teaching me this other sport you mentioned before... Thai-boxing?" he asked, the last a mimic of her own voice as he said it. Earthlings might be weak and not exactly intelligent, but El'is truly was an exception to that. Not to mention the hand-to-hand combat-training they did. He didn't quite understand why El'is kept putting the word 'sport' with it, they were all for fighting skills, but he was eager to learn them all.

"Sounds like fun," El'is said, showing her teeth as she smiled. "Any excuse to kick your butt will do."

The youngster laughed, clapping her on the back and making her stumble forward, which only made him laugh harder.  
"Just you wait until I've learned the basics. I'll show you who kicks who's butt then," he promised. He patted her back again, softer this time, before taking his leave and heading to the male baths.

--

El'is brushed her hair slowly and purposefully, looking in the mirror. She was more muscled already. She didn't mind. The better she managed to stay with the youngsters, the better. She was happy to have a friend now. She had expected Vi'can to be her first friend. Perhaps he was, she didn't know.

He had been avoiding her. Whenever she saw him, he hadn't worn his helmet - the perfect excuse not to react to her. She could see it in his eyes though. He would glance at her quickly during the hours they spend training as a group, and she could often feel his gaze burn into her in the public hallways.

She sighed softly. She hadn't thought her genes would be that big of a problem. What if others started to react that way too? Then she'd never be accepted, no matter what trials she succeeded in. A small knock on the door made her jump, the brush freezing in its movement. She pulled it out of her hair and threw it on the bed. Pulling her morning robes tighter around her, she opened the door.

Before her stood the subject of her previous thoughts. He clicked something, then rolled his eyes and pointed at her translating glasses, which were lying on her bed. She blushed a moment before turning and heading for it. She put them on and turned back to Vi'can.

"Can I come in?" appeared on the glasses as the Yautja clicked.

"Of course," El'is said, smiling encouragingly. She sat down at the edge of her bed as Vi'can entered and closed the door. He moved to the bed and sat down next to her. "What is it?"

He hesitated, shifting uncomfortably.  
"I.. I wanted to apologise for my behaviour," he said. He sounded sincere, though he did everything in his power not to look at her. "It wasn't fair. Just with the... thing... I've never hung with a xenomorph before, and even though you're not technically one, it's similar. And that makes it weird."

She looked at his face. This wasn't easy for him, she could see that.  
"I carry some genes of your race too," she said softly, trying to give him something to hold on to.

"But that's just it. The hybrid was an abomination. And he's partly your father," Vi'can said, turning his head and finally looking at her. "You're not really a xenomorph, a Yautja or a human. You're a mixture of all, but your alien genes come from the hybrid."

El'is tilted her chin up at him, anger painting her face.  
"He might have made me part alien, but he's nowhere near my father. He's no family of mine," she snapped. "He killed my mother and made her spawn horrid things."

Her bottom lip trembled lightly. She crossed her arms and looked away angrily. How dare he insult her like that? Then again, why did it upset her this much? She never even knew her mother. She only knew the graphic F'gath had described to hre. Perhaps it was just because what Vi'can said could be roughly translated to that she was and always would be an abomination.

Next to her, Vi'can sighed. He hadn't meant it that way. He was just trying to show her this wasn't easy for him to accept.  
"My apologies," he muttered softly, "I'm just trying to make you understand why this isn't easy for me."

He reached out, hesitating before gently placing his hand on her shoulder.  
"I don't see you as an abomination. I know you're not. But...," he stopped, sighing deeply again. He couldn't explain. Not really anyway. Not in words and terms she'd understand.

El'is looked at him, tilting her head slightly. She held her teeth clenched tight and blinked back the tears she felt. Despite feeling insulted and hurt, part of her could understand why this was a problem.  
"Just as long as you know I'm not," she said slowly, before shifting. She leaned her head sideways, gently letting it rest against his shoulder. "Just.. don't ignore me, okay?"

He stiffened immediatly, looking shocked as he looked down at her. She didn't see it though, she wasn't looking at him. She knew very little of Yautja customs. He could blame a lot on that. Very slowly, he moved his arm and put it around her shoulders. He felt her relax under his hold. He even detected a small sigh leaving her lips.

"I missed talking to you," the human woman admitted. "You're intelligent. And you didn't seem to mind me being human-like too much, even at the beginning."

Vi'can snorted.  
"I was convinced you weren't worthy. You proved yourself brilliant.. And caring," he admitted, "I had to adjust my opinion. Then you told me.. you know.. and I changed it again now. And now again. You're full of surprises."

El'is smiled, unaware of the puzzled look Vi'can gave her behind his helmet. He had come here with the idea to tell her he was sorry, but that he couldn't be her friend. But tha plan had changed the moment she had opened the door. There was something about her...

"You and M'rid seem to get along just nicely," he commented, surprised at the bitterness he heard in his own voice. El'is had apparantly noticed it too. She lifted her head a moment before settling it again.

"He's got a great sense of humour. And he's a good sparring partner," she said. He felt his mouth twist and quickly reigned himself in. What was wrong with him? He almost said he'd be a better sparring partner. That wasn't exactly fair. M'rid was by far better than average and he was more patient than Vi'can himself.

"Have you tried on more opponents at the same time yet?" he ventured, hoping the hint wouldn't be too obvious.


	9. Chapter 8

((A/N: thanks so much for all the kind words everyone. That really means a lot to me . And it makes me want to do a lot better too XD

Edit2: so sorry for the copy of chapter 7 XD Here's the real Chapter Eight. I clicked too fast. ))

_Chapter Eight._

El'is hand her hands against the glass, eagerly looking out of the ship. There, before them, was the Yautja homeworld. The planet seemed dusty and rocky, though several large green spots promised at least lush forests. The way towers had been positioned around it, El'is expected them to be hunting grounds.

"If you press any harder, you'll burst right through the glass," M'rid commented next to her, a chuckle in his voice. She gave him a playful glare, before chuckling herself.

"It's my first world other than Earth that's inhabited by intelligent beings," she protested. On her other side, Vi'can snorted.

"You think humans are intelligent?" he asked, looking at her innocently. His grin betrayed him though. Both youngsters wore glasses similar to El'is' now, allowing them to communicate without wearing their helmets all the time. They were a bit darker shade than hers and connected behind their heads, whereas hers covered her ears. She had never actually seen Yautja-ears, she realised.

"We're smart enough to develop martial arts," she commented. Both her friends had been quite in awe of those once she started teaching them. They couldn't do all the moves, their movements too large or too slow, but they were learning a lot. F'gath had encouraged it and now the entire group was forced to train with her once a week.

Listening to the talk in the hallways, she had learned that most thought that that was because she was F'gaths favourite. Some even thought she mated with him. M'rid had practically rolled on the floor laughing when she told him. Vi'can had been rather quiet though. She didn't really get much altitude of him. One moment he'd be all nice, and the other moment, he'd suddenly be rather distant.

"But for what? You just use it to kick and hit each other senseless," M'rid said.

"That's a good point," El'is admitted. As the two remained fairly silent, she soon lost herself again in the sight she saw before her. She let out a soft sigh. It was beautiful, but completely different from her old planet. She hated to admit it, but she missed it at times. It was chaotic, illogical and humans spend their lives ruining, but it had been home for years.

She felt Vi'cans hand on her shoulder and turned her head towards him. He looked down at her a moment, his eyes soft, before he looked outside again. The hand stayed though.

M'rid frowned as he noticed that, then slowly started to grin to himself. He doubted Vi'can bothered explaining Yautja-traditions. He'd be sure to talk to her tonight or tomorrow, without the other youngster present.  
"I take it you'll be staying with F'gath?" he ventured. He didn't think she'd be able to get her own place. Certainly not before having gone through the trials. Perhaps not even once she wore the mark.

"Yeah," El'is said with a nod, "He said he already has a room ready for me, along with some Earthen stuff he smuggled to this planet over the years. I'm rather curious what he got..."

"Can we come visit?" Vi'can asked, looking over her head at M'rid a moment. As their gazes met, Vi'can looked away and removed his hand from the woman's shoulder.

"Of course," the oblivious Earthling said, smiling at him. "You can come over whenever you want. If it's alright with F'gath I mean. After all, it is his home."

The ground was rising up to meet them rather fast now, they would land in only a few minutes. She could see the details of the buildings now. It all looked like a very modern version of the buildings the ancient Egyptians and Aztecs had lived in. History had never been her favourite subject, but she remembered enough of the buildings to notice.

Gigantic statues lined very broad streets. The streets were made of simple but very large stone blocks. The statues looked to be made of the same kind of metal Yautja wore as their armour. Depending on the angle, some of the buildings looked like hunched birds. Bridges higher than any skyscraper El'is had ever seen connected gigantic buildings with one another. Around those, smaller buildings stood. Their roofs were flat in the middle, but a wall ran around it at the edges of the roofs. The sight was simply overwhelming.

She stared in awe as they headed for one of the flat-topped buildings. She noticed that others were occupied by ships much like their own.  
"We'd better get ready," she suddenly heard and jumped lightly. "No doubt F'gath has put a fitting attire in your room. He'll probably want to give you some last minute instructions too."

The three looked at one another. Vi'can was the first to take his leave, soon followed by M'rid. El'is looked out the window one more moment and sighed. That was her new planet. Smiling, she turned and ran to her room

--

Upon reaching her room, El'is nearly bumped into F'gath. He seemed more serious than usual. As she closed the door behind her, he pointed to her bed. As M'rid had predicted, a set of clothes was spread out. It was of Yautja manufacture, but El'is could see it had been made to fit her.

"It's a ceremonial attire. We wear it when we introduce ourselves to the world and join a warrior to become a hunter," F'gath explained. "That of females is slightly different, but I'm giving you a male version because you'll be following the male track of life."

"Females don't hunt?" El'is asked, taking off her armour. She wasn't too emberassed to show herself in front of F'gath. He was sort of like her dad, and her best friend. And he had already seen her tons of times when she grew up.

"They hunt in their spare-time in the junglespots you've seen," F'gath said, "They raise the children and take care of our homeworld. They're bigger and stronger than us males. At least, stronger in the untrained sense. If they don't train, we'd win."

El'is blinked, pulling her shirt over her head. She left her bra on as she put on the jacket-like thing.  
"You mean females are actually in control of your race?" she asked. F'gath growled lowly. Apparently she had just insulted him. "On Earth, it was mostly males that made the decisions."

"They have control of the homeworld and decide who lives where and such. They care for the children. We decide the rest," F'gath clarified. "They're only consulted for off-world matters if it'd effect the entire race, like when we go to war. But even then, they're not the ones to make the final decision."

El'is nodded slowly, now underway of pulling the pants up that went with the jacket. They fit her very snugly, obviously not meant to conceal anything. She tied it around her waist with a broad belt. The jacket left her bellybutton bare, though it had a turtleneck once zipped up.

"You can wear your normal boots over the pants, but not your gloves," F'gath said, "When you meet the council, bow and keep your head bowed until they tell you to lift it. Don't speak unless they ask you to, whatever they say. It's a test of your dignity."

He started pacing. El'is had never seen him so nervous. But then again, this was a big official thing.  
"You'll hear insults about you and your race throughout the evening," he continued, "There's not many open-minded Yautja in the council and only few outside it. They'll have to warm up to you. Stay near Vi'can, M'rid or me during the entire evening. We'll help you out if you're at a loss."

"Will they be insulted if I speak?" El'is asked, turning towards him as she zipped her boots up. "I mean, I don't speak any Yautja yet. And I don't know if I'll ever be able to. You can bring forth a whole set of sounds I've never heard a human make."

"Vi'can, M'rid and I can function as translators for those who have refused to get that translating chip installed in their helmets," F'gath said, looking her up and down. She looked alright. He hoped he hadn't crossed any line by letting her wear Yautja ceremonial attire. The council had given in to his demand to train her reluctantly. He didn't quite know how far he could take it. At least she'd be save from all the mockery in his home.

"Will everyone be wearing their helmets?" the woman asked. These clothes wear lighter than her Earth ones, but she was quite sure they were far more durable, like most things of Yautja manufacture proved to be.

"Yes. The marks on our helmets prove the rank we have," F'gath said, "It'll allow everyone to see where you stand. Right now, that's way on the bottom of the list."

His face twisted, showing slight amusement over that.

"That'll make it easier for you. Once you're climbing the ranks, people could get difficult because you're not one of us genetically."

El'is nodded, heading over to him and reaching out with a hand. He took it and squeezed it gently.

"You'll do fine, as long as you follow the instructions I've given you," he said. "On that note, don't hold hands, or hug or do sentimental things that humans find normal either. We don't show such signs of affection in public."

The Earthling nodded again, smiling nervously before letting go of his hand and putting her helmet on. Once that was attached, he left her alone to change himself. She headed back to the window she had been at before, finding her two friends already waiting for her.

They both looked a bit like her, wearing the same kind of clothing. They looked at her. She had the impression they were amused, though she couldn't be sure; they were wearing their helmets also.

"You look like a smaller, weaker version of me," M'rid said, earning himself a light punch in the shoulder from Vi'can. El'is chuckled, shaking her head at the two.

"You forgot prettier. And smarter," she retorted. Had she not worn her helmet, she would've stuck her tongue out at him. Vi'can chuckled though, M'rid joining in moments later.

"Have you decided on an escort yet?" Vi'can asked, tilted his head lightly. These clothes fit her and accentuated her body quite a lot. He did his best not to stare. It wasn't often that a female wore these kind of clothes, let alone someone from another planet.

"F'gath said I am to use him and you two as my personal translators," El'is said with a giggle. Vi'can could tell by the sound of it and her pose that she wasn't as relaxed as she seemed. He knew just like she did that tonight wouldn't be easy for her.

"Then I am at your service," he said, making a flourishing bow. That earned a more heartfelt laugh. Humans sounded strange when they laughed, but the sound was infectious and made him want to join in.

"We'll make sure one of us will be at your side at all time," M'rid promised, tapping her helmet with a finger. "I don't think you should take that off during the evening, unless one of the council-members asks. You look more like us this way, so it shouldn't unsettle them that much."

"Ready to go?" a heavier voice sounded behind her. She turned around, eyes widening behind her helmet. Unlike the youngsters, F'gath was wearing a shiny metal breastplate. His helmet showed all the marks it had before, which was impressive already. He wore the same kind of pants they all did, but over his, parts of armour were tied. In his hand, he held his ceremonial spear, that usually hung on the wall of his bedroom.

"As ready as I'll ever be," El'is said. M'rid clapped her on the shoulder good-naturedly, thinking she was joking, before the four of them headed for the hatch of the ship. The other youngsters waited for them there. F'gath send Vi'can and M'rid to join them, but he kept El'is at his side.

"Straighten your back. Show your pride," he said quietly as the hatch lowered itself. "Show confidence even if you don't feel it right away. You'll do just fine. And I'll be with you."

El'is breathed in deeply. She moved when F'gath did, heading down the ramp and into the bright light of a setting sun.


	10. Chapter 9

(( A/N: Aw you guys! And girls! Thanks so much for all the lovely kind words :D You have no idea how much that means to me. Sorry it took a bit longer to make this chapter, with all the suspense and such.. I couldn't really think straight after Valentine XD I'll try not to keep you waiting that long again. Promise. ))

_Chapter Nine._

Squinting at the bright light, El'is adjusted her helmets system to shield her eyes more. Glancing sideways at F'gath but without turning her head, she had to admit the setting sun did him good. He truly looked like an noble knight, his armour shining gold. She could hear murmurs of Yautja language all around her, too much for her translator to keep up with, but the words she managed to read showed both disgust and curiosity. She reminded herself that F'gath had warned her about that, trying not to cringe.

At the bottom of the ramp, several Yautja were waiting for them. They wore long robes in various colours and El'is had the idea that they were very old, their skin lightly wrinkled here and there. She had no doubt that they'd still be as strong as any of the youngsters around them though. There was no such thing as an unfit Yautja. Their helmets were practically filled with marks and symbols, embedding a sense of awe in the human woman. F'gath had plenty, but even he needed quite some more before reaching that amount.

Though F'gath hadn't told her to, she turned her hand and lied it on it's side against her chest before bowing deeply. Shocked murmurs sprang up amongst the crowd watching them and she heard surprised clicks coming from the council, even from F'gath.

"Child, why are you bowing like that?" one of the council-members asked. His voice sounded raw and worn, he must've been through a lot of anger and sadness throughout his life.

El'is lifted her head to look at him, to acknowledge she had heard him before bowing it again.  
"Because the marks your helmets carry show what great courage you must've shown. Your robes symbolize the weight you carry for your people. The years you count prove what great knowledge and experience you have," El'is said, picking and pronouncing her words carefully. If this first impression went wrong... She shook the thought off. "All these things fill me with a sense of awe and an intense respect for you. I can only hope I'll someday be as great as you."

More surprised clicks followed, some demanding where she had gotten the nerve from to use a Yautja gesture, others sounding complementive of the fact that she did. The council remained silent, exchanging glances before the same council member put his hand under her chin and pulled at it. She looked up and when he gestured, she straightened. She had the feeling her knees would give way at any moment. She hadn't done things wrong, had she?

"F'gath, judging by your reaction, that was not what you instructed her to do," another council-member said. He sounded even older than the first, but he also seemed to be amused. He reminded her of M'rid somehow. "You bring this Outworlder to our planet, where none but us and our prey has ever walked, because you think she is worthy."

Silence quickly fell over the crowd. This would be the judgement. She'd either be allowed or not. El'is tried not to swallow. Her heart was beating in her throat though. They noticed that, judging by the number of helmets that had her in their vision. What if they didn't allow her? Would she be executed then? Become a prey? Dropped back on Earth?

"She wears our clothes and mimics our customs," the old Yauja said, "Her blood is warm and easily spotted. She's small, fragile. The chances of her survival are remote from what I see now. But.. she shows courage, respect and a sense of honour."  
He looked around at the other members, who gave almost invisible nods, some more hesitant than the others.  
"You were right to give her the chance," he decided.

A weight seemed to drop off El'is shoulders. She exhaled slowly, smiling wider than she ever had before. She would get to go to the trials and kill off her own xenomorph. And after that, the universe had better beware. A new hunter would be there, ready for any prey. She kept her pose appearing calm though, the beating of her heart slowly getting less fast.  
"Sir?" she ventured softly.

The council turned their heads to her as one, nearly making her cringe. She felt F'gath tense beside her. _Do not speak unless you are spoken to_ he had said. But she wanted to help something out of the world before it got used against her.  
"What is it, child?" the same member asked. She didn't know for sure if it was just that he was the spokesperson for the council, or if the rest of the council didn't deem her worthy to talk to.

"You said my blood betrays me because it's warm," she said, getting an impatient nod in return. Not able to help herself, she tilted her chin up defiantly. "There are many creatures who do not see things in temperature. For example, your blood looks normal to you, but for me it glows brightly, which makes you just as traceable for me as I am for you, with the difference that my blood gets cold eventually, but your blood will keep glowing."

She heard F'gath lightly chuckle beside her. They had talked about this before. The council took a moment to let that settle into them.  
"Perhaps. We shall see," another councilmember spoke up. His voice sounded younger than the rest, but he only had one mark less on his helmet. "You show intelligence, but I won't judge you as such until you carry your first mark."

Agreeing murmurs rose from the crowd. The spokesman raised his hands, silence quickly falling again.  
"But she will not be seen as an enemy. If she doesn't complete the trials successfully, then we might decide otherwise," he said. Then as one, the council turned and walked away.

F'gath started walking again. She quickly fell in next to him, matching his quick pace. So far so good, she reckoned. They walked into the wall on the sides of the arena-like landing area. It was all a lot bigger than it had appeared. El'is wouldn't be surprised if this planet was many times bigger than Earth.

They descended in a small elevator, only meant to carry a few persons at a time. It was made entirely out of glass, allowing the Earthling a good look at what the planet looked like up-close.

"That was awesome," M'rid commented. "You actually impressed the council! Especially Dad. I think he will want to meet you."

"Dad?" El'is asked. "Who's your dad then?"

"The one that did most of the talking. He's my father," M'rid clarified. He looked relaxed and content. He felt like it too. His friend had been approved of, sort of, and he was home again.

"Which is the only reason he gets to train with F'gath," Vi'can teased, receiving a warning growl from F'gath. El'is chuckled. She was glad she was with them. She felt a lot more relaxed now. She looked back outside, the amazing sight capturing her. The bird-like homes were gigantic and decorated with symbols and statues. It reminded her even more of the old pyramids. But according to what F'gath told her, those were build by Yautja to begin with.

"It worked out well this time, but don't assume you can speak to them like that again," F'gath said. "You were lucky. The bow however.. You impressed them, M'rid is right about that."

He sounded proud, which made the woman smile even more. As long as F'gath had faith in her, she would do anything and everything. He was her mentor, her friend and much more. She straightened herself as they arrived at ground level. She stepped out onto the big stones that formed the street, unable to stop herself from looking around. This planet was awesome.

--

M'rid and Vi'can said their goodbyes then. Tomorrow they would see each other again at the annual meeting. M'rid promised he'd introduce her to his father properly then and that he'd make sure that his father wouldn't judge her too lowly. She had the distinct feeling Vi'can had wanted to speak on several times, but the youngster had held his tongue. She frowned behind her helmet. He was acting really peculiar.

A soft push against her shoulder made her blink, her vision focussing on the present again. She looked up at the only Yautja left next to her; F'gath.  
"Let's go home," he said. She couldn't help but grin. Home. On the Yautja home world, with F'gath. This had always been her second dream, the first being hunting with him. But she had no doubt she would get to do that too.

"Where do you live?" she asked as they started walking. F'gath observed her. She was acting as curious as any creature he had ever seen that was put in an alien environment. She seemed ecstatic though, practically bouncing as she walked. It was amusing to see. He was glad that she was happy though. Whether or not the council approved of her, if she didn't like it here, the adventure would end anyway.

"Third house on the left," he said simply. She looked around, apparantly looking for houses. He chuckled lightly. She was holding on to Earth-standards too much. "Alright. Third bird on the left if you will."

That received a fit of giggles.  
"They really do look like birds, don't they?" she said, "Like the falcon that's used as the symbol of Horus, the ancient Egyptian god."  
She tilted her head, her attention returning to him.  
"Which of you was that?" she asked. He had told her a ton of stories about the past, when his race has visited Earth and taught the humans most of what they knew now.

"It could've been many," F'gath said with a shrug, "We didn't use these masks back then. We tried to _fit in_ so to speak. So we used Earth's animals as masks rather than our current masks. Those didn't come until much later."

"Have you ever worn one?" she asked. He laughed, thinking she was making a joke. When she continued to look at him with a tilted head though, he frowned and shook his head.

"Child, I'm old according to human standards, but I'm not _that_ old," he said, chuckling lightly. "My great-grandfathers father wore the jackal-mask."

El'is nodded, looking up at the building they were heading to. It was massive, but the details on it were incredible. She wagered that all the little symbols on it made one incredibly long story. It was laced with statues, showing battle scenes and Yautja warriors.

"Will you tell me about that tonight?" she asked. It had been so long since he told her a bedtime story. She knew she was a grown woman now, but she would never get tired of that. Ever. He was great at telling stories and making them alive for her as he told them.

"If you wish," he said, "But lets see what you think of your room first, shall we?"  
The Earthling nodded again. As they approached the front of the building, she looked around, trying to find out where the entrance was. None were visible though. F'gath didn't slow down though. Just before he would collide with the wall, it started folding backwards.

El'is gasped in awe before she could help it. The smooth surface broke as it leaned back, pressing itself to the ceiling and to the sides, creating a tunnel-entrance inside. Realising she stopped, she sprinted a moment to catch up with F'gath again. She reached out and touched the material with her glove. Impatiently, she pulled her glove off and reached again. It felt like a combination of metal and stone, smooth to the touch but not cold enough to be metal. Not Earthen metal anyway.

F'gath smiled at her fascination. He couldn't help but laugh as she let out another shocked gasp as the door folded closed again behind them. He reached out and lightly took her hand. For a moment, she looked at him. He had to practically drag her along, the girl wanting to stare at anything and everything.

"You'll have plenty of time to explore all that later," he said amused, tugging at her hand. She let out a long sigh.

"Oh alright," she said, letting him pull her along. The hallways were lined with statues, in various poses. They all looked so real, she expected them to step from their bases and walk with them. Most of the hallways they walked through were a dark grey or black in colour, lighted with torches that glowed, making colours dance all over the walls.

Her breath stopped when they arrived in the actual hall. It was gigantic. The ceiling was a dome and the room was round. El'is expected the highest point to be at least fifty feet high. Painted on the dome was an epic battlefield. Several skulls and other bones decorated the the walls. El'is didn't know where to look. It all looked so amazing. She wanted to know everything about every trophy, every spot of paint. And this was only the beginning of the house.


	11. Chapter 10

((A/N: A bit shorter than usual, I know. I'm hoping to have a bit more time this weekend to write. Which I need, as I intend to start another fanfic too XD And once again, thanks for all the kind words :D They mean the world to me.

On a sidenote: if anything is unclear, don't hesitate to ask :) I don't mind answering questions at all. If they endanger the plot, then that'll be your answer XD ))

_Chapter Ten._

The house was enough to keep El'is mouth agape. Gasps of awe escaped her lips more than once as F'gath showed her around the place. He explained that most of the statues were his ancestors and that the skulls hanging on the walls were of the preys they had hunted. F'gath now being the head of the family, he was allowed to add his own share.

What particularly pulled at her though, was a massive skeleton that she recognized. It loomed over her in one of the many halls the house had. The broad legs and big head, the tail and the tiny frontclaws.

"How the heck did you get a T-rex here?!" she exclaimed, standing under the head and looking up at the skeleton. F'gath chuckled next to her, looking at the skeleton too. His ego was being boosted rapidly, with the way she reacted to his families heretage and this time was no different.

"T-rex?" he mimicked, turning his head to look at her. He had learned how to understand most of what she said, even without the translator in his helmet, but it was the typical Earthen terms that were still alien to him.

"It's a dinosaur. Big predator, ate all the vegetable-eaters," El'is said, "The full name is Tyranosaurus Rex. They were at the top of the foodchain. Your ancestor must've been really strong to take this one down. It's not exactly small. And most certainly not weak."

By now, though still hyper, she was getting pretty tired. The long day, all the new impressions and information she had to work through... And now this gigantic house that contained so much of Earth's history. It was overwhelming.

F'gath had noticed the state his human was in, but he hadn't commented on it yet. He knew she hated it when he tried to run her life for her. Only if she was really tired or emotional would she let him do that. He didn't mind though. Her spirit was strong, and she would get plenty of rest later anyway. Being like she was now, she wouldn't be able to sleep despite being tired.

"Their technology might have been less good than it is now, but that didn't mean we were any less good at hunting," he said simply. She could practically hear the pride in his voice.

"Next room?" she asked with a broad smile behind her helmet.

--

It ended up being far passed sunset before El'is and F'gath finally got to the humans room. As she stepped into it, she blinked in shock. It looked almost Earthen. Several closets lined the wall, no doubt to hold armour, clothes and trophies. On one side, there was a large round bed, with several pillows and a big blanket. A desk sat at the window, with lots of drawers.

On top of it, she discovered paper, pens, pencils but most surprisingly a laptop. Cables ran from it, disappearing into the wall. She walked over it, rather surprised when it activated as she turned it on.  
"It's connected to a satellite aiming for one of your homeworlds. If there's no cosmic interference, you can get on the.. world wide web.. with it," F'gath explained.

The next moment, the small human woman had flung her arms around him and was hugging him tightly, chanting thank you into his audio's. He chuckled, holding her lightly. He could understand what it meant to her. With that thing, she would be able to keep in touch with her own world. It would keep her from getting homesick too much, he hoped. He squeezed her lightly before setting her down.

"It'll be a long day tomorrow. You should rest," he said. "When you're rested, we'll get your things and integrate them into the room."

El'is nodded reluctantly. There was so much more she wanted to see. So much more she wanted to know. That reminded her. She looked at F'gath.  
"You promised to tell me a story," she said. She could hear him chuckle.

"Change for bed, and put your glasses on. Then I'll tell you about your worlds Gods," he promised.

--

El'is waited until F'gath was lying comfortably before snuggling up close to him. Knowing he didn't need the blanket, it was wrapped around just her. She gently placed her head onto his shoulder. Automatically, he moved his arm around her shoulders, letting his hand rest on her waist.

"We've come to your planet before your kind developed a kind of intelligence," F'gath began and El'is smiled. He was a great storyteller. She sighed contentedly and listened to the story. The way he described things made it so easy to understand. Sometimes she swore she could actually see it all happening.

_Every hundred years, they would return to hunt the gigantic reptiles that roamed the blue planet. Those that had just proven themselves to be men, were not allowed to go. It was too dangerous for just anyone to attempt these hunts. But even that wasn't enough for the proud hunters. Hunting these reptiles was fun, but they acted only on instinct and didn't show any true intelligence._

_A plan was formed to make the preys more difficult to kill. The Yautja community didn't have a problem with it, rather curious as to what it'd bring about. A xenomorph queen was transported onto the planet to lay her eggs and give the Elite a new, better and stronger prey to hunt._

_It didn't take long for the xenomorphs to hatch. What came out amazed even the strongest of the warriors. Gigantic creatures with enormous teeth and claws, who bled acid. And there was a lot of blood. Too much. Realising their mistake, the Yautja returned to their ships, dropping a bomb onto the nest. The bomb turned out to have a bit more energy than was needed. It wiped out most of Earth's inhabitants and brought about a new Ice Age._

_For millennia, the planet was left alone, to recover from the ordeal it had been put through. When the Yautja returned, the planet was swarming with new life. Small, skinny, nearly hairless life. They lived in small heaps of earth that was barely big enough to hold a few of them._

_The humans had looked at the hunters in fear, and rightfully so. A batch of humans was taken, to be implanted with the same creatures that had delivered the reptile-xenomorphs. Only this time, the test was a success.. The xenomorphs that hatched were strong and bright, quick and agile, but they were small enough to not doom the planet they came from._

_Relishing in this new discovery, the Yautja once again returned to Earth. At the time, the amount of queens they had was low, and they would need to hatch as many eggs as possible. If they humans killed the facehuggers, they would lose precious preys. A deal was struck when the Yautja agreed to give the humans proper shelter. In return, a portion of humans would willingly sacrifice itself for the hunts._

_They build high buildings, with smooth, triangular sides. The first ones were rather simple. The only decorations it had were on the inside. The humans would later refer to them as pyramids. Around them, entire cities were erected._

_When the time to hunt came, the humans pushed forward a party of willing people. It didn't take long for the xenomorphs to hatch. The hunt was a great success. Keeping that in mind, more pyramids were build around the globe, getting more and more decorated with statues and paintings._

_The humans saw the masks the hunters wore as their true faces, and thus painted them as such. Not able to capture their bodies correctly, they were given human bodies in the times that the hunters were not on the worlds surface._

_Over the years, the hunts were changed and trained into trials, for young men to prove themselves worthy of their first mark. Of course, it didn't always go well. A peaceful city in the middle of the ocean was completely destroyed as the xenomorphs gained the upper hand. Aside from the tales humans had, Atlantis was completely wiped out._

_When matters on their homeworld pulled at their attention though, the hunters disappeared again, only to return in 1904, using Earth's counting system, to one of the few pyramids left that still held a queen able to lay eggs._

_After that successful event, the hunters returned more often again, though mostly on their training. Humans were inventive, but weak. They didn't form a true challenge. In 2004 it went horribly wrong again._

"That's the year I found you," F'gath said, squeezing the drowsy human lying against him. "The abomination was born and my nephew told me about him. I went to Earth. The rest of that story you know very well already."

El'is giggled softly.

"I don't mind hearing it again," she assured, then yawned, "But I'm afraid I won't stay awake for most of it."

F'gath raised his hand, stroking the woman's hair.

"Then sleep. Tomorrow will bring a new day, with new chances and new decisions to be made. I will tell you more stories tomorrow. It'll be easier to understand now that you know the basic history between my race and yours," he said.


	12. Chapter 11

((A/N: It took me quite some time to figure out just how Yautja do this XD I won't say what, because then the chapter is ruined. I hope you'll like it though. Again, it's a bit shorter chapter than before, but the ending was too perfect to continue. ))

_Chapter Eleven._

El'is slumped into one of the chairs the room held. She let her head fall down onto the table. She had never been so exhausted in her life. The past few days had barely allowed her to sit down, let alone get some rest. She had gone from one official meeting to a training session to another meeting. Though interesting, there was only so much she could do.

Right now, she was dressed up like the Yautja equivalent of a Barbie-doll, hair pinned up and everything. She had met everyone from the council now, and they had each accepted her, though each also pressed that the acceptance wouldn't last if she didn't make it through the trials.

The fact that they were willing to give her a chance though, meant a lot to her. She was alone for now. She had been allowed to go. She reckoned it was half way through the night already though. F'gath had stayed, saying he had official business to attend to. How that man was able to stay up so long was beyond her. Yes, he was an alien, but even aliens needed sleep.

She jumped when she felt two hands rest upon her shoulders, but instantly started to relax when they started to kneed her weary muscles.

"You look like hell," she heard Vi'can say with a chuckle. No wonder she had had the sense she was being followed. She had written it off as Yautja curiosity, but now?

"That's no way to compliment a lady," she remarked, chuckling lightly. Her body was slowly starting to relax under the strong hands loosening her up. Vi'can chuckled softly. He wasn't wearing his helmet, just the glasses. He had been walking around looking all official enough for today.

"You're assuming you're a lady then?" he said. Her laughter shook her body. He was well aware of what he was doing, and what it could mean if she knew Yautja standards. For now, he was glad she didn't. He could smell the odd scent she radiated. It was exotic and it seemed to drug him.

He couldn't think straight when he was around her. She made him want to throw traditions and the like overboard. He swallowed, finding his mouth dry. She was wearing a strapless dress. The thing was hideous, but despite that, she looked beautiful in it. Her skin felt creamy and soft under his hands.

"Yes, I dare think so. Or at least, I have to behave like one, since I'm the only example you guys have," she said with a giggle, interrupting his thoughts. He nearly pulled his hands back. She clouded his mind. The more time he spend around her, the worse it became. Whenever she was even talking to another male, he would feel a pang of jealousy.

He felt as if she were his, even though she wasn't. She was bright, and exotically beautiful. She had the strength of any Yautja female. Mentally if not physically. Deep down, he knew he had been using her genes as an excuse not to be close to her. But in the last few days, now that she was partly accepted, he couldn't avoid her anymore.

F'gath had assigned him to be with her most of the time as well. Did he know? Vi'can hoped not. If he knew, the elder Warrior would skin him alive. El'is was his protégé, his favourite student. M'rid knew. Or at least expected it. Vi'can was sure of that. But the most important question of all was of course, did El'is know?

"Then you have a lot more to do before you've convinced anyone you're a lady," he said almost absently. She giggled again. It sounded like rain on silver bells. The sound was catchy, and it lifted his spirits, even though he wasn't really down. He was just deep in though.

He reached out and gently took out the pins that held her hair up. Strand after strand of brown hair flowed from her head, onto her shoulders before cascading down her back. Her hair was so much softer than Yautja dreadlocks. Much thinner and smooth too. She didn't have bolts in them either.

When he ran a hand through them, the woman stirred and turned around. She rose from her seat. All of her movements were so elegant, despite the horrid dress she was wearing. Her waist was thinner than any Yautja female he had seen, while the small orbs that proved her to be a female were about the same size. They looked softer though. He had seen them bounce lightly when she was training.

"Vi'can, are you alright?" she asked. "You seem rather distant tonight."

His mouth felt drier than before. Those eyes. Blue crystals set in such a kind face. They always showed so much emotion, and they always seemed to pierce his very soul.

"I'm fine," he said a little hoarsely. She rose an eyebrow and chuckled, shaking her head. As a result, her hair danced, moving a little longer than her head did before they settled again. She brushed a few strands behind her ear. The human hearing-organs were odd to see. But they somehow fit with her face, the delicate nose, the high cheekbones...

She had no mandibles, but the lips from which that sweet voice came looked soft. He found himself wondering what she tasted like. Blushing, he quickly turned his head away. She didn't know his train of thought and expected him to blush over something else.

"No you're not," she said with a chuckle. "Come, we'll go get a drink and then you'll have to tell me about it."

She took his hand and dragged him along with her. She really needed to learn Yautja customs some time. He doubted she had the faintest idea of what she was doing to him. He held her hand back, trying not to squeeze it.

They arrived at the Yautja equivalent of a kitchen. It had been modified a little. Where usually it was just full of proteins and the like, cooling systems had been added to hold more kinds of food, so that El'is could eat all the foods she required to stay healthy. The ceiling was high, and cabinets stuck out from the walls.

It had taken her hours to find her way around this place, but now she had a pretty good idea of what was where. She climbed onto one of the counters, standing on her toes to open the door to one of the cabinets. Inside, cans of a native Yautja drink were standing. She would call it a soda, since it had bubbles. Sodium was an entirely different substance though, so it made no sense to Vi'can.

Now that she was standing higher than him, he couldn't help but spot the slender boots she was wearing, and part of the creamy legs above them, before the dress hid them from his sight. He reached out, nearly touching them before quickly pulling his hand back. He cursed himself in his mind. He needed more self control.

One of the boots moved back slightly. Moving down again, it missed the edge, causing the owner to tumble backwards. He held out his arms and moved quickly, catching the falling human. He looked at her as she was in his arms. Subconsciously, he lightly tightened the hold he had on her.

She was looking at him with wide eyes, most likely from the shock of falling. One of his arms was under her knees, only touching dress. The other was around her back, holding her waist. If he moved his fingers, he could touch those orbs through the dress.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his clicks sounding softer than before. She nodded slowly. He gently set her down. If he held her much longer, he didn't know what he'd do. But even then, she was standing so close to him. He could inhale her scent with ease. Her heart was beating faster than before.

He reached out, touching her cheek tenderly. Her eyes darted to the hand for a second before returning to his. He had the feeling he wasn't the only one holding his breath. As his hand moved into her soft hair, he leaned closer.

Mandibles opened, the tusks tenderly stroking her soft skin before they covered most of her cheeks. She stood completely still, but when she felt his tongue touch her lips softly, as if asking for permission, she reacted. Her lips parted and she responded in kind. The cans dropped from her hands, clattering upon the floor and rolling a little before coming to a stop.

She slid her arms around his neck, moving closer to him until her body was pressing against his. He moved his arms around her waist, holding her tightly as he let himself get lost in what was happening. He had never been able to imagine what this would be like, but it rose above his dreams and hopes. This kiss, despite being so peculiar and alien, was more wonderful than anything he had ever seen, done or received.

He didn't know for how long they were doing this. For all he knew, it could be years. His hand had moved to the back of her head, keeping her close. It was then that reality hit him. What was he doing? He was kissing an alien. An alien that hadn't even fully been accepted into his people's culture. That didn't know his customs.

He was kissing a wonderful creature that stole his heart long before this kiss. If F'gath learned about this, he would be dead. In fact, if any Yautja found out, he would be dead. He broke the kiss and let go of her. He stepped back so forcefully she couldn't keep her hold of him.

She looked at him questioningly, not understanding the problem. The sapphires that were her eyes will full of confusion. Her chest was heaving as she breathed heavily. Her lips gleamed softly with what he knew to be his saliva. It was a sight he couldn't bare. He looked at her a moment longer, then turned and ran, leaving her where she was.


	13. Chapter 12

((A/N: Thanks once again for all the fantastic reviews you've all left me . It makes a girl feel very much appreciated. I know it's been a bit since I updated. I'll try to write faster XD ))

_Chapter Twelve._

El'is looked out her window. The sky was filled with stars and galaxies she did not know. She could spot several of the planet's moons. She was taking classes now with Yautja scientists to learn all there was to know about the culture and the system. She should be doing her homework now, which consisted of drawing the planets and naming them, along with the most significant facts about them. She couldn't focus though.

Absently, she touched her lips. She hadn't seen Vi'can for days. He hadn't responded to her notes and calls either. She was sure he was avoiding her. She couldn't blame him, but she was still angry. He couldn't just do that to her and then pretend nothing had ever happened. Or worse; ignore her like he was doing now.

She knew that kiss had meant a great deal. It kept invading her mind. The way he had held her, and she him. The way his mandibles had softly stroked her cheeks as they kissed... She sighed, her shoulders slumping. She liked him. She wouldn't deny that. She had never thought of him as more than just a friend, until he had kissed her. Now, it was hard to form a single thought without him being in there somewhere.

At first, she had thought that the way she felt about him was the same kind of love she felt for F'gath. She was sure it wasn't now. He had abandoned her though. Left her alone. She sniffed softly, bringing up a hand and wiping her eyes under the glasses.

"El'is?" she heard from the door. She froze before quickly turning around. By then F'gath had already covered the distance. He lightly put his hand on her head, stroking her hair. "What's wrong?"

He was no fool. He had noticed days ago that something was bothering her. Something had happened at or after the party. Something that had both thrilled her and hurt her. He had seen her staring into nothing quite often, with a dreamy smile on her face. He didn't mind that. But more often than not now, the dreamy smile had made way for tears. He would kill anyone that hurt this sweet Earthling.

"Nothing," El'is said weakly, then sighed. "I don't want to talk about it."

He hadn't asked this directly before. He was glad she didn't lie though. There was something. He felt her put her head on his chest, hugging him in her Earth-like fashion. They had taken to acting quite cool towards each other outside of the house. He was happy to notice she had at least learned that Yautja did not show their affection in public, except when to defend an friend's honour.

Inside the house was quite a different matter though. They ate together, and then spend several hours playing boardgames, both from Earth and from this world. He had grown quite fond of those times. Especially if they played the game called Risk. He liked that game a lot. As it turned out, they were quite evenly matched, though she insisted she was only any good because he had taught her.

"The council has agreed to let you face the trials in three weeks," he said. He heard her gasp before she leaned back and looked at him.

"Seriously?" she enquired, a disbelieving smile growing on her face. A high pitched sound erupted from her throat as she nodded and she practically bounced in his arms. "That's awesome! ... Do you think I'm ready?"

Her voice was completely solemn again as she asked him that question. She doubted herself, he noticed. She often did that, even when she knew there was no reason to. He expected it to be a human habit.  
"I wouldn't have requested it if I didn't," he assured. "I'll be teaching you intensively until then. Xenomorphs are no regular prey. And you have little hunting experience."

El'is nodded, smiling at him again.  
"Can I hang the skull here once I have it?" she asked, looking around as if already picking a spot on the wall. He chuckled at the question.

"No, not here. Once you've faced the trials, we'll start decorating your own trophy-room," F'gath said, touching her cheek lightly.

"My.. own... OMIGOSH!" she exclaimed. She had once explained that that basically meant _oh my God_. It was peculiar, as she insisted she didn't believe in such things. "You'd give that to me?"

The amount of affection he heard in her voice, and awe, made him smile softly at her.  
"Naturally. You are my family," he said. That earned him another hug. She was quite strong he realised, as she managed to nearly pain him with it. He knew not all of his relatives approved of this. He had still to introduce her to them. She would not face them until after the trials he had decided. They would not be able to talk down to her after that.

"M'rid and Vi'can will be going to the same trial as you," F'gath said. Instead of making her happier though, the fact made her slump her shoulders and look away quickly. So it had been either of those two that had hurt her. He would seek them out and have a few words. "H'roth also, along with a few others. There's two pyramids close together. Your helmet will give a live feed to us so we can see what you're doing."

When she looked at him again, he saw the confusion in her eyes.  
"Not everyone will believe you've killed a xenomorph unless they actually see it. The feed will allow us to. Only the council and I will see at the time. After that, it can be send around the planet to prove your worth," F'gath explained. "Now.. Do your homework later. We're going to train first."

--

El'is strapped the armour tighter around herself. Today was the big day. She would be hunting her first xenomorph. She exhaled shakily and slowly. She had never been more nervous in her life. The lump in her stomach was there for multiple reasons though. For one, the trials made her doubt herself a lot. Second: Vi'can would be there too.

He hadn't contacted her, despite her requests for him to do so. She hadn't seen him. A few times, she had been certain he was around, but that never seemed to be the case. By now, the hurt had mostly made way for anger. Pure, raw anger. How dare he treat her like that?

She checked her gear again. She was wearing a bit more armour now, but she was easily strong enough to take it now. Once she took it in the Pyramid, she could mount a canon onto her armour as well. In the past few weeks, F'gath had taught her to wield the Yautja weaponry. She had a personal liking for the blades that spun when you threw them. They were the Yautja equivalent of a shuriken, only better and by far more powerful.

The wristblades were awesome, but since her from was more fragile than that of a Yautja warrior, she couldn't put the same strength into it that they could. She was better with wielding a weapon. With permission from the council, the blade of her spear had been made longer for that specific reason, now forming a sort of swordspear rather than just a spear.

M'rids father had already completely accepted her by now, though he couldn't back her like that officially. She had dined with M'rids family a few times now and they were impressed. They had exchanged stories and had often trained afterwards. That all started when M'rid persuaded her into giving a demonstration of Thai-boxing, as his father did not quite believe humans could come up with any technique capable of completely beating a Yautja.

When he had been proved terribly wrong, he had asked her to teach him. Secretly of course. M'rid brothers had also joined the classes whenever she dined there. Though most Yautja didn't wholeheartedly agree with the idea of a human in their society, they didn't look for anything behind the visits as they knew she had befriended M'rid.

She zipped up her boots and tied the laces around them. On her own request, those had been made a bit less heavy, even though that meant they weren't protected as well as they had been. She wanted to be fast rather than well defended though. It was better to avoid getting hit than to get hit and being able to take it.

In the soles of her shoes, she had made two small gutters. And in the pockets on her belt, she held two small pieces of metal that she could slide right into them. She hadn't told anyone what they were for though. They would see in due time. She also carried a small ball of the wire-y kind of rope that Yautja used to hang their preys from places to skin them. M'rid had described how that was done to a human in detail, before realising he was actually talking to a human.

She had thought up several tactics. At one point, she had nearly spoken to F'gath about them, but he told her that wasn't allowed. They were allowed to train before the trials, but other than just getting general information, they were not allowed to discuss what went on inside until they had actually been there.

She headed out her room and made her way to the exit of the house. F'gath would already be at the ship when she arrived there. This morning, he had wished her good luck and a good hunt. From that point, she wasn't allowed to talk to anyone but the ones that were going to the trials with her. It was to avoid the youngsters to get too much information. The silence didn't feel too heavy so far, but that was probably because she hadn't been around people all day.

When she stepped outside into the light of one of this planets two suns, M'rid stood there waiting for her. She could tell by his movements that he was quite excited.

"Finally!" he exclaimed, "I've not been able to talk to anyone all day!"

El'is chuckled.

"Neither have I, but I don't complain about it," she remarked, clasping his wrist with her hand and letting him grip hers as a greeting.

"Yes, but you don't have brothers who make fun of you so much you want to tear their heads off," M'rid said, starting to walk. El'is kept pace with him, walking alongside him. "They've been like that all morning. And dad's been saying things to me, but not directly at me. He'd tell mum that he hoped I'd make sure the skull of my kill is clean, and that he didn't want any acid-stains and such."

That caused her to chuckle again. She supposed that wasn't a real violation of the rules, but it came pretty close. When she had first met M'rids mother she had actually been scared. It turned out that Yautja females were an average of a head taller than the males. They were stronger too. She learned that the council only kept themselves busy with off-world affairs. The planet itself was in the hands of the females. They raised the children, or pups as they called them, and made sure everything went smoothly. They trained the pups too.

His mother was very kind, though she didn't allow any bad language or bad attitudes from her family. It had been quite amusing to see. It did made her wonder though... Why didn't F'gath have a mate? Or if he had, what had happened to her?

"F'gath left after wishing me good luck this morning. I think he wants to keep himself from talking to me. If we break the rules, we can't go. And it's very important that I do," she said. Her shoulders slumped a little and a shudder shot up her spine. If she failed the trials...

"You'll be fine, don't worry," M'rid assured, "I'll have your back. And once Vi'can has gotten over himself, he'll watch out for you too."

El'is smiled at him gratefully behind her mask. M'rid was the only one she had told what had happened. Though she trusted F'gath with her life. She knew she had to fear for Vi'can's life if she ever told F'gath. M'rid had tried to explain to her what this meant to Vi'can though. Shockingly enough, the other youngster had confided in M'rid as well.

From what El'is understood, it was the fact that she hadn't been accepted into society yet that made it such a big thing. As non-Yautja, without that acceptance, anyone having that kind of a relationship with her would get dishonoured, along with his entire family. Sometimes, the short-sightedness of these hunters amazed her.

And, M'rid had admitted after some time, he was afraid. Vi'can wasn't used to having feelings for a female, let alone an alien female. At first he had thought that El'is had put a spell on him, but humans were incapable of magic, so that couldn't be it either. M'rid had made her promise not to throw that into Vi'cans face. But since he didn't want to talk to her anyway...

They chatted mindlessly as they walked on, though they both knew the other had their thoughts elsewhere. They didn't want to admit they were nervous or scared. After a while, they reached the elevator. They looked at their homes as they were taken up towards their ship and the crowd around it. When they would return, they would see it as official Yautja adults, and they would be carrying their first mark.

Stepping out of the elevator, they were welcomed by very busy chatter from all around. The council was waiting in front of the ship, together with F'gath and a few other warriors El'is didn't recognise. The council was wearing their official robes and the warriors were wearing their shiniest armour. She was glad she was wearing her helmet. She had it set to her own vision, allowing her to see all the details.

She bowed respectfully to the council, and inclined her head towards the warriors. M'rid did the same. Hearing more footsteps, she looked around. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Vi'can walk up to them and do the same. Once they were on this ship, he wouldn't be able to avoid her anymore. She would make him talk to her.

She looked back ahead and walked up the ramp of the ship. It wouldn't take them long to reach the planet that had their pyramid on it. They had been instructed that if things got out of hand, they would have to blow it all up, possibly including themselves. If any of them got infected, they would have to kill each other. But if all went well and they returned triumphant, they would be part of the Yautja society and she would be accepted.


	14. Chapter 13

((A/N: A bit shorter, I know XD The next one will be a lot longer, promise. Well, longer at least. I've got something big planned

Thanks for all the kind words . They make me want to write more :D Yay for cliffhangers, ey?))

_Chapter Thirteen._

El'is heart was beating in her throat as she looked up at the gigantic stone-mass that formed the Pyramid. Snow covered the world all around her, but the Pyramid had been blown clean of it. It reminded her of a mixture between the Pyramids Earth knew. As she looked up in awe, she was aware of a pair of eyes resting on her.

She didn't know how, but Vi'can had managed to avoid her even on the ship. She still had no idea where he had hidden. It didn't exactly help her mood. She had hoped to have everything resolved before the trials. Now, she didn't know if she could count on him. M'rid had tried to talk to him, but with no success. He probably wasn't too comfortable either, caught between two friends like this.

The path leading to the Pyramid was small and narrow. On each side, a frozen lake spread, the Pyramid itself resting on a small island in the middle. Breathing in deeply, she headed for the stairs and started climbing. Only a few hundred miles away, H'roth and two other youngsters were doing the same thing.

Native planet life had already made its way into the Pyramid and was most likely already infected by facehuggers. Getting their canons might already prove to be a challenge. El'is knew their prey wouldn't be made through humans. She had to let the image of the xenomorph she knew go. These would inherit the qualities of those they killed as they hatched.

From what they had seen outside, these beings were humanoid enough though. They hadn't spotted the hunters, naturally. They had stealthily moved around them. El'is allowed herself a smile. She could get used to being camouflaged.

A long screech brought her out of her thoughts though. At the same time her two companions did, she speeded up and ran into the Pyramid. The time to get their guns had long since passed. Right after they entered, the whole building shifted, locking them inside and in the dark.

El'is quickly switched to the visor that picked up the xenomorphs easiest, looking around. It seemed that the surrounding hallways were still clear. Good. She headed forward, only taking a moment to look at the holographic map of the pyramid. She could spot what was left of the humanoids inside the sacrificial chamber. Their signatures were already fading. She hoped their deaths hadn't been too painful.

The amount of fading signatures worried her though. That meant a lot of xenomorphs. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she vaguely saw M'rids cloaked face.  
"Lets go," he said softly. She nodded. She looked the other way to look at Vi'can, but the youngster didn't return her look and just started moving. M'rid gave her shoulder a light squeeze before following.

--

It didn't take them long to find the sarcophagus holding their guns. El'is gun was slightly smaller than the others. They had only just mounted them when they heard screeches coming from the hallways. It was time to begin their hunt.

"We'll rendez-vous here in an hour," M'rid said, "Good luck. And good hunting."

They nodded to each other, though Vi'can's nod towards El'is was a bit slower. She did not like it. She had thought he was her friend. And more. But now... All he did was ignore and hurt her.

She shook her head at herself and headed into a random hallway. Behind her, she could hear M'rid berating Vi'can for his behavior, until a shift in the Pyramid blocked the sound. She stood still, surrounded by utter silence. She could swear she heard the beating of her own heart though. She went through all her visors, before seeing nearly completely faded prints.

That in itself wasn't worrysome. It was the fact that they were shaped as Yautja boots that worried her. Who else was here besides herself, M'rid and Vi'can?

--

On the Yautja homeworld, F'gath let out a low growl. Through El'is' helmet, he was following everything, together with the council. He did not know who had gone to that world as well. The footprints were too fresh to be of the last trial. Those were long since gone. Before his eyes, the human woman started moving again.

--

El'is moved wearily. She did not like the idea of being surprised by an extra Yautja here. At least of M'rid and Vi'can she knew what to expect. Well, of M'rid at least. She moved stealthily and quietly, using her camouflage perfectly. She had her audio's set to maximum. If she was going to detect the xenomorphs the quickest, it'd probably be because of their movements.

She didn't go into the direction she thought the xenomorphs would be though. Instead, she followed the trail her visor had uncovered for her. Generally, she started to relax a bit more. Her heart-rate slowed down, as did her breathing. She was still as tense as ever though. It wasn't long until she heard a hissing sound in front of her, along with a characteristic growl.

She sped up, rounding the corner before freezing. Across the room she was entering, she could see a Yautja posture, fighting off a xenomorph. More were crawling the walls. She did not quite expect to see so many here. From what she knew, the nest wouldn't be around her. Unless things had gone horribly wrong. She didn't want to die though. And she wouldn't let it happen either.

She would prove herself to the world and the universe. She would make F'gath proud. And she would decorate an entire room with skulls and bones from all kinds of creatures. She grabbed her spear and rushed into battle. She would leave the fellow to his battle of course, before finding out who he was and what he was doing there. But the other xenomorphs were hers.

It didn't take them long to notice she was there too. Hissing faces turned towards her. She could see the sharp teeth and the drool running from them. Immediately, her heartbeat started racing again. This was the greatest adventure she had ever had. The most important one too.

She remembered what she had been taught. She would have to look out for the blood. If she underwent and acid-spray, she would die then and there. It was lethal to Yautja already. It would surely be even more deadly to her that way.

The xenomorphs started to move. Some slowly. One fast. She lowered into a battlestance, catching the xenomorphs and slamming him into the ground. Then they all started to move quickly. Grabbing the tail of the one she had thrown down, she slung it around, knocking several xenomorphs back. It only pissed them off though. She could tell by their hissing.

She grabbed the shuriken blade she had and threw it around. More than one xenomorph was injured, or beheaded. She had made her kill already. But it was far from safe enough to mark herself and claim the kill. She activated her cannon next, starting to fire. Once there were fewer, she would resort to hand to hand combat again. That was more honourfull.

She didn't get the chance to though. As a few got blown to bits, a roar emitted from deeper into the Pyramid. The queen, no doubt. The xenormorphs froze and scattered, disappearing this way and that. She looked around, still weary. The Yautja that had been fighting the xenomorph got back to his feet as the xenomorph he had been fighting returned to its queen.

"Who are you?" she asked, "And what are you doing here?"

Judging by the mark-less helmet, it was a youngster, but she knew for a fact that it wasn't Vi'can or M'rid. She went over to him, tilting her chin up and putting her hands in her sides.

The Yautja regarded her a moment. The helmet seemed familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The only ones she really knew were M'rids, Vi'cans and F'gaths. She tensed as the youngster let out an angry growl.

"It is you that shouldn't be here," he growled.

She blinked. She recognised his voice. The moment of shock that realisation gave her was enough for him though. Cold blade were extracted. She inhaled sharply as she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. She looked down, just as he pulled the wristblades back. They were bloodied. She looked back up, trying to make sense of what was happening.

She put her hands over the wounds, blood starting to pour from between her fingers and dropping down onto the floor. She felt light-headed. The youngster regarded her a moment before grabbing his spear. With a squeeze of his hand, the thing shot to its full length. El'is didn't move. She had anticipated fighting xenomorphs, but a Yautja? And why him? What had she ever done to him?

He pulled the spear back, before thrusting it forward, aiming for her heart.


	15. Chapter 14

((A/N: Sorry it took me so long. I had some personal issues to work through. I hope this satisfies you lot for a few days XD And I apologise for the cliffhangers again.

Duvet: I'm a woman ;)

DasGrauen: the next chapter will be dedicated to you. Thanks for being a fantastic reader .

And the rest of course, thanks a ton for reviewing and for liking the story. Your kind words drive me to write more and to write more fast. ))

_Chapter Fourteen._

El'is had the idea that everything was happening in slow motion. She spear moved towards her, but she felt like she had plenty of time to move out of the way. Then the sound-sighting was back. She felt his movements through the air. She sidestepped and grabbed his spear. While pulling with one hand, she quickly punched him in the neck with the other.

The Yautja immediately let go of the spear and stumbled, wheezing and coughing. He gripped for his throat. He couldn't get any air. El'is, though it was never fun to see someone in this state, was happy to notice it had worked. Just like with humans, the air pipe of a Yautja could be shut if it was hit in the right place.

She sank to her knees, fumbling for her first aid kit. Her hands were slippery from her own blood. If she didn't close these wounds, she was pretty sure she wouldn't survive the trials. She hoped the blue goo Yautja used for it would work on her too. F'gath had explained to her how it worked, but she never had to use it before. She didn't know if it worked with human DNA also.

She activated the burner. Grabbing the small bag of chalk-powder she poured it into the bowl, along with the chemicals that eventually formed the pasty-like goo. She tried to ignore the gasps and clicks she heard from her attacker. He would run out of breath soon. Yautja could hold their breath longer, but they still needed air. She took the small butter-knife from her first aid kit. She knew that it was called different, but it resembled a butter-knife too much for her to call it anything else.

She decided to do the wounds on her back first. The front would be easier, so if things went wrong, she'd have a better chance to those wounds too. She took some of the goo and reached behind her. With one hand, she felt her wounds. She winced lightly, but when she found them, she quickly smeared the paste onto it.

At first she wondered if it even worked. Then a heat seemed to explode from her wounds, accompanied by a lot of pain. She quickly took more goo and rubbed it onto the wounds on her front as well. Her world started spinning. She knew she had one more thing to do before she allowed herself to go out cold though. She did not want her attacker to die. She wanted an explanation. She forced herself up, stumbling over to her attacker. He was already out cold.

Her hands shaking, she hit him in the same spot as she had before, allowing him to breathe again. She heard a hissing sound in the distance. She turned, but then the world got black and she fell backwards.

--

It took F'gath a moment to realise she must be out cold. His hands were squeezed together as fists. She was badly injured. But he wasn't allowed to help her this time, even though it wasn't her fault. Next to her, a traitor was lying. He would make sure the youngster was dubbed a Bad Blood. He growled.

"We have to wait and see," one of the council members said. "She has to do this on her own."

F'gath nodded briefly, though it was clear that it took him a lot of restraint not to go to her aid right away. That concern he carried for the human worried some of the council members, but those that had spend time with her understood. She had something about her.

"She's made her kill and earned her mark," M'rid's father N'ter reminded everyone. Nods were given from everyone around. "Whatever happens now, she's proven herself to be worthy of being one of us."

F'gath allowed himself a small smile behind his helmet. He had never had any doubt about that. El'is was more than worthy. She would prove herself to be more worthy than most Yautja's. Her trophy-room would be gigantic. But she would have to wake up again first…

Her helmet had shown them everything that had happened. The fact that she had saved her attacker before going out cold gave her even more credit. She did not kill mindlessly. And she had been able to stay awake through the whole first aid treatment. They all knew that was painful enough when applying it to one wound, but four? She would require proper medical attention when this was all over though. Though he knew he couldn't, F'gath very much wanted to ground her forever once she was home. That way she wouldn't get injured again.

--

The pyramid was a dark and gloomy place. The hallways were silent, but due to the shifts it made, one constantly had to guard his back. Though he knew this wasn't supposed to be a vacation, the tension wasn't exactly putting Vi'can in a better mood. He growled lowly, grabbing his spear tight.

Of all the youngsters he could've been teamed up with.. Why this one? Why her? It had taken every possible effort to stay out of her way, to avoid talking to her and to avoid being alone with her. What had happened couldn't happen again. It was as simple as that. She was in fact an abomination. If they ever had children, they would be even worse.

He looked away as if trying to stop facing himself. She was getting far too deep into his head. The fact that he had already thought about having children with her proved that. They just couldn't be. But why not? It was denial that had gotten him through these last weeks. But then M'rid had to come and talk about how she would soon be accepted completely into Yautja society and that anyone that would catch her heart and mate her would gain a lot of status.

What bugged the youngster most about that was the fact that he knew M'rid was right. If she made it through the trials, which he knew to be a near certainty, Yautja would be begging her to mate them. No one else could say they had a human as a mate, let alone a worthy one. The thought of her being with another Yautja was unbearable. He let out a roar of frustration, not caring that that might well alert whatever xenomorphs were near him.

Since he had run out of the kitchen, her delicate face and soft lips had haunted him everywhere. He could not stop thinking about her. Part of him wondered why he was keeping himself from truly thinking about his reasons for running, and his reasons to stay away from her, but another part was very clear on the fact that he shouldn't look into it. The latter always won.

His thoughts were pulled back to the present as he heard a hissing sound, the signature of the prey he was hunting. He was nearly relieved. Something to take his mind off of her. He gripped his spear and waited, going through his visors. He checked to make sure there wasn't a tunnel above him. Getting dropped on was a rookie-mistake. He did not intend to make any of those.

Then, at the other end of the hallway, he saw it. It saw him too. It started running towards him at high speed. Without hesitation, Vi'can threw his spear. It impaled the creatures head and flung it back before sticking it to the wall. It twisted a moment before going silent. Vi'can knew his spear was useless now, but he didn't care or mind. His kill had been made. He had earned his mark.

Another hissing sound sounded behind him. Without much thought, he turned and aimed his cannon. A burst of energy freed itself from the weapon, connected with the xenomorph that had just turned the corner. Bits of xenomorph splattered everywhere, though none of the acid came close to Vi'can. He walked over to his first kill and yanked off a finger. Though he knew how important this event was, he didn't feel like making much of a ceremony of it.

He took off his helmet and drew the finger across it, giving himself the mark. Then he did the same to his cheek. The acid burned, but he kept himself from wincing. This was far from his first kill, but it counted as his first. He cut off the xenomorphs tail. He could take that along without it getting in his way. He waited for it to stop bleeding before hanging it on his gear.

A loud roar rocked the pyramid. He frowned. That must be the creatures mother. Why was it calling her hatchlings? It didn't sound as if she was trying to get them to kill the intruders. A high pitched scream followed right after, from the same creature. Vi'can frowned. That couldn't possibly be good.

He started towards the noise. There was no way he was going to be afraid of a xenomorph queen, even though he had never seen one yet. Then realisation hit him like a brick. That was why he had been avoiding El'is and why he had run. Fear. His thoughts raced. Fear of what? Of what she was doing to him. And fear of whether or not he was worthy of her. It wasn't the other way around. He didn't think he deserved her.

She had made great effort to reach him though, to talk to him. Did she think he was worth it then? His throat felt dry. He needed to talk to her. Now rather than later, before he lost the guts to. He picked up his pace, jogging. He didn't know where she was. But he had to find her. Here was as good a place as any to talk. Especially if she had made her kill already too.

He crossed a room, but didn't pay much attention to it. Another hallway. Where was she? He switched through his visors, trying to locate her heatsignature. He went through another room, but the pyramid shifted then and cut his way off. He growled in frustration. He knew there was no telling if he had been going the right way or not, but any way was better than standing still.

He sighed and looked around. He appeared to be in part of the xenomorphs nest. Eggs were scattered on the floor. Without hesitation, his cannon started making short work of those, leaving small piles of acidic goo. As he walked around the room, he took care not to step in it. The sight that awaited him around the corner made him stop dead in his track though.

Pasted to the wall, a youngster was hanging. The corpse was nearly cocooned by the same substance xenomorphs used to made their nests. Vi'can frowned. He was relieved to notice it wasn't M'rid, but what in the sun's name was H'roth doing here? He wasn't supposed to even be in this pyramid. His own was miles away. The youngsters helmet was lying at his feet rather than being on his head.

What disturbed him more than the youngsters presence though, was the hole in his chest. He cursed. That meant another hybrid was on the loose. He picked up the mask and tied it to his back. He would give that back to H'roth's parents. It wasn't until then that he noticed something more disturbing.

H'roths wristblades were extended, but the blood on it wasn't Yautja nor xenomorph. His mouth ran dry. It was human blood. He turned around, frantic for a way to leave the room. El'is. She was injured somewhere. He had to find her. She couldn't die on him. Not now that he had finally realised he wanted her, needed her. But the pyramid didn't shift yet.

He let out a roar of frustration and anger.

--

Several rooms further, a creature that resembled both the hunters and the hunted straightened from the corpse of the witch that had been laying eggs. It was grinning. He saw it as a challenge. He answered with his own call, a mixture of the Yautja characteristic roar and the high pitched scream of the xenomorph. Challenge accepted.


	16. Chapter 15

((A/N: Here you go DasGrauen. This long chapter is dedicated to you. I hope you enjoy it .

Lol. Peya Luna: that was exactly what I intended to do in the first place XD

No cliffhangers this time. Well.. only one. But I can't make any promises for the next chapter.))

_Chapter Fifteen. _

El'is stirred. Her fingers twitched before her eyes slowly opened. Her head felt woozy and heavy. Still lying down, she brought a hand to her wounds and felt them. The injuries felt raw and in need of more tending, but at least they were closed. The rest would have to wait until she was out of the pyramid again. She slowly sat up and looked around. Judging by the heat-trail of her own blood, she hadn't been out of very long. It was still half-warm.

What disturbed her though was that her attacker was gone. She cursed silently before making herself get up fully. Her right hand balled to a fist, she was ready to activate her wrist-blades. Her attacker was nowhere to be seen though. Why hadn't he finished her off when he had the chance? She couldn't blame it on thinking she was already dead. Predator visors were more than capable of checking if someone's heart still beat and if someone was still breathing.

So what had happened to him then? He couldn't have disappeared into thin air. She dismissed the thought for the moment though, and went over to the corpse of her first kill. She knelt down next to it. She stroked her hands over the skull slowly. It had a good, smooth shape. And it was undamaged. With her a firm yank, she disconnected the head from the neck. She took care not to get hit by of the acidblood that came free. Then she broke off a finger of the xenomorph, so she could mark herself.

She took off her helmet slowly and lifted the finger. Very lightly, she traced it over the helmet, etching the mark that proved her worthy onto the helmet. Then, she used the reflection of her helmet to mark herself on her cheek as well. She sucked in a breath, the acid burning very painfully. She wondered what the council thought of this. And more importantly, what F'gath thought.

She knew they had seen everything that had happened. They knew who had attacked her and what had happened afterwards. Perhaps they knew where he had been taken. She put her helmet back on and grabbed the skull of her kill. Using some of the rope she took with her, she tied it to her back. That would make a fine first trophy for her trophy room. She grinned behind her helmet. She had done it. She had proven herself happy.

She nearly cheered, but was unable to as someone made a sound before her. Or rather, something. A loud roar echoed through the hallways. She recognised it as Vi'cans. Was something wrong? She already started walking when the roar was answered by another one. She felt a shiver shoot up her spine. It sounded familiar somehow. She stood frozen for a moment, before realisation dawned on her.

Memories hit her like a brick. She had heard a similar sound when she was very little. It brought back images of a pitch-black night and a creature that resembled both xenomorphs and Yautja. Her half-father. She cursed loudly. She now knew where H'roth had gone. He had been taken and impregnated. And now there was another hybrid on the loose. She quickly grabbed her spear and headed out the room. Injured or not, this was her chance to prove to everyone that despite having some genes of it, she was nowhere near alike to it.

The hallways seemed darker than before, but she had no trouble seeing. She didn't think of switching her visor to heat. She knew where she was going. She could see the xenomorphs walking in the hallway behind her without turning around. She saw in echo. The pyramid was etched out in it in front of her. She could see Vi'can, pacing impatiently in a room halfway to the other side of the pyramid. M'rid was a few levels down, fighting his fair share of xenomorphs. And winning gloriously. Neither of that really drew her attention though. In front of the door leading to Vi'can current room, the hybrid was pacing, his tail swishing through the air.

El'is picked up the pace and ran towards it. She didn't realise that she had to be technically blind in this dark. But the only thing on her mind right now was the hybrid. She felt the instinct to kill it. Only one of them was allowed to live and she wasn't intending on letting him be that one.

When she was halfway there, the hybrid turned. He had spotted her as well now. He roared at her. She yelled back. She wasn't thinking straight. All that she could think about was the need to kill the creature that was now heading towards her.

--

Watching through her helmet, F'gath never felt so much fear before. He had fought one of those creatures. Being an experienced warrior, it had been very hard for him even then. He clicked frustrated. He wanted to help. If she died… He shook the thought off roughly. There was a chance. And it was already proving itself to be there.

"How can she see in this darkness?" One of the council members asked. "Humans see differently than us. Without another visor, she should be blind."

"She's being very rash. Obsessed even," N'ter said. He wasn't used to this kind of behaviour from the human. She usually was very tactical. He sounded concerned as well. Did they know what she was about to face? F'gath doubted it. He reckoned it was time to tell them about El'is' genes.

"There's something I have not yet mentioned," he said quietly, then proceeded to explain what exactly had happened the night he faced the hybrid and what El'is' genetic build-up was.

--

When they finally saw each other face to face, both stood still. They regarded each other. The hybrid made a few clicking and hissing noises. Soft in tone, they seemed to ask her something. She was not sure what. She felt nothing but hatred for the creature. Her mind slowly came back to her. She had rushed in. Hopefully, that wouldn't sign her deathsentence.

She did not quite understand why she wanted to kill it so badly. Well, she could understand it consciously, but the drive that had made her come to him had been purely instinctive. She did not like that. She was starting to get used to her genetic powers, but so far she had always been in control. It didn't change the current situation though. She wanted to kill it badly still.

It represented most of what disgusted her. Something very similar to him had slain her mother and had caused her to be part abomination. He was not supposed to exist. F'gath had killed the other one the day of her birth. Now she would prove herself worthy of being his family by killing this one.

She switched to the xenomorph-visor, so that the council could get a general idea of what was happening. They would probably already have questions about her running in the dark like that already. She would have to explain to F'gath that her alien genes sometimes played up. She wasn't quite looking forward to that. She didn't want to do anything that might possibly disappoint him.

When she refused to answer, the hybrid roared at her. She recoiled slightly, before starting to walk towards it. She would kill it. High on adrenaline, she didn't even think about the blood she had already lost. Her wounds were forgotten, a distant memory. She growled in the back of her throat.

That was all the hybrid needed. He roared again angrily before sprinting towards her. He crashed into her, but she caught him. Her feet scraped across the floor as he pushed her back. For El'is, everything was happening in slow-motion again. His tail lashed out at her. She bend her head to the side, the tail making a _swoosh_ through the air next to her before being retracted.

The hybrid roared into her face. El'is looked back calmly. She bend her arms outward, bringing him closer. When he was very near her, she brought up her knee between his legs hard. He roared again, but in pain this time. He let her go and stumbled back a pace before his tail attacked again.

This time, El'is didn't let it go by. She grabbed it with her hands and pulled in a circle-motion. The hybrid flew passed her, his head hitting the stones on both sides of the hallway before she let him go. He crash-landed several feet further. Scrambling to his feet, he made a low whining noise. He was obviously in pain. He looked at her a moment, then ran away from her.

El'is frowned. He was afraid of her? Well, he should be. His skeleton would make a marvellous trophy for her room. Without hesitation, she chased him. It wasn't hard to follow his tracks; he left many of them. At first the loud crashing noises made her wonder, but when she started seeing a clear pattern of round holes in walls that were big enough to let the hybrid pass, she only sped up.

She could not let him out of the pyramid. If he escaped... She knew he could impregnate many. The place would be swarming with xenomorphs. Her mouth ran dry when she noticed the hole in the outer wall up ahead.

Moving stones signalled the upcoming pyramid-shift. She could not wait until the path was clear again before following. She couldn't take that risk. It'd take too long before she was outside that way. He needed to be stopped, and he needed to be stopped now rather than later. She sprinted, jumping through the hole right as the stones shifted.

She tumbled down several feet before grabbing hold and hanging onto a statue. The yanking movement send a surge of pain through her body, reminding her with painful sharpness that she wasn't at full strength. She quickly looked around. The hybrid was getting away. He was nearly at the bottom already. She breathed in deeply and let go. Landing on the surface of the pyramid again, she quickly started running down. The smooth sides provided a near sliding effect.

It didn't take long for her to reach break neck speed. The hybrid was moving onto the frozen waters around the pyramid. El'is allowed herself a grin. She might just win after all this way. She skidded to a halt, but ended up crashing onto the ice anyway. She winced. That'd certainly become a few bruises.

She took out the two small irons she had made on the Yautja homeworld and slid them into the area's under her boots she made for them. With two iron straps, she secured them to her boots. Yautja's being used to warm climates, she was sure they had never done this before. As she looked up from her shoes, she saw the hybrid slowly moving away from her. He kept slipping.

The ice was thick enough for his weight and for his tumbling, making her wonder just how thick it really was. She scrambled up and pushed herself off. The irons slid across the ice exactly like she hoped they would. She realised she would have to explain the concept of ice-skating once this was all over.

She pushed with her other foot, then with the first again, gaining more and more speed. She was grateful she had looked up information about this planet before they came here. The world being a cold and watery planet, she had figured ice-skates might just come in handy. This proved it. F'gath had once asked her what she was doing when she was making the irons, but when she said it was a surprise, he had just nodded and let the subject go.

It didn't take her long to catch up with the hybrid. She grabbed and activated her spear, thrusting it and herself into him with full force. The spear went right through him. She quickly pushed herself back from him and yanked the spear out. She didn't want his blood to maim her.

The hybrid roared in surprise. Drops of blood fell on the ice, quickly eating through it. El'is mentally slapped herself. If the acid ate through armour, naturally it would also eat through ice. She roughly grabbed its tail and started back towards the shore. She didn't want to lose her trophy.

As he was dragged behind, the hybrid roared and moaned in pain, leaving a trail of acid-blood on the ice. Slowly, the ice started to crumble. He searched frantically for a way to get lose, a way to survive. She had the same power he had, but somehow, she was better. He wanted her to die, but so far, she was being the winning one.

He took hold of the back of her spear, pulling it strongly. The human lost her footing. He used his foot to kick her in her knee. She fell, sliding across the ice. He quickly scrambled up. The ice immediately started to give way underneath him. He stepped towards her.

El'is grabbed her knee. She didn't need a scan to tell her it had been pulled out of its socket. The pain made her see stars. She tried to get up, but her knee wouldn't allow her. She could do nothing but watch as the heavily bleeding hybrid moved towards her.

"El'is!" she heard a familiar voice roar. She chanced a look to the side. Though unsteady, both M'rid and Vi'can were making their way towards her. She noticed they both carried the mark now. She nearly smiled, but then the foot of her prey connected with her knee again. She cried out in pain. The cry drowned out the sounds of the ice breaking.

She only partly hear the yelp and whine of the hybrid as he sank through the ice. Then she was hit by water. Very cold water. The ability of her suit to take most temperatures wasn't able to keep her from feeling as if she was freezing. She didn't even want to think of how cold the water must be for that.

Before her very eyes, she saw the hybrid slowly freeze. Icecrystals worked themselves onto his skin and into his dreadlocks. He made another whining sound, before going quiet. She nearly felt sorry for him. She hoped F'gath could help her get him out again. She wanted that skeleton, if she could count it as her kill.

Her world slowly started to get dimmer as she started feeling more and more numb. She remembered to swim. She started back for the surface. Being as heavy as she was with all the armour, it wasn't exactly an easy task. She was nearly at the surface when she felt her strength giving way. Her world got dark.

She was barely aware of the strong hand that grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, out of the water and onto the ice. Vi'can quickly moved back with her. He cradled her, holding her tight.

"Hang on," he whispered repeatedly. She couldn't die on him. He could tell she was outcold. He didn't even notice M'rid making contact with the ship to get them to come as quickly as possible.

"Hang on," he whispered again, holding her as tight as he could.


	17. Chapter 16

((A/N: Lol sorry to keep everyone waiting like this. I had a few issues to take care of. And another fic to start. And I needed to think about what I want to happen now.

I've been thinking, and was quite shocked to realise that the end of APH is nearing. I've been writing it since the end of January and it's 71 pages long now (including this chapter). It feels really weird to know that the story actually ends o.0

Either way, I'm very glad you liked your chapter, DasGrauen . I didn't know hybrids were your favourites, so I think that was just a lucky guess.

This last chapter is dedicated to Peya Luna, because she (assuming she's female btw.. I don't quite know for sure XD ) is very patient with me and often guesses without knowing what I'm planning to do. But I bet she didn't see that coming :p ))

_Chapter Sixteen._

El'is opened her eyes slowly. The lids felt heavy, before she realised she was very tired. The last thing she remember was lots of cold, that seemed to creep into her very soul and tried to freeze her. And a voice that kept saying _hang on_. Something was covering her nose and lips, but as her groggy mind slowly became clearer, she realised they must have been giving her oxygen.

That also explained the beeping noise she kept hearing. Her heart was being monitored as well. But why? Had her situation been so bad? Apparently. She looked around slowly. She wasn't in her own room. She expected she was at the medical centre, or whatever the Yautja equivalent of a hospital was. There was a single door opposite her bed. Two chairs sat in a corner and a nightstand was positioned next to the bed.

On that stood a large bouquet of flowers El'is had never seen. Light purple in colour, they looked very exotic, with their large petals and the smaller flowers that grew out of their hearts. She noticed it had a card. She sat up slowly. That caused movement. She heard a small excited series of clicks coming from the window, before heavy footsteps resounded.

"You're awake!" Vi'can exclaimed, only just keeping himself from hugging her flat. Instead, he took her hand in both of his, looking at her. Her hair was a mess and her skin was still pale. But she was beautiful all the same. Her blue eyes slowly turned towards him and locked into his. He didn't quite understand the frown, until he realised she couldn't understand what he was saying. He picked the glasses up from the nightstand and handed them to her.

"What happened? What are you doing here?" she asked as she put them on. She didn't retract her hand from his though. That had to be a good sign, the youngster hoped.

"The hybrid broke through the ice, and made you fall in too," Vi'can said. "I pulled you out, but the cold had already got to you then. The doctors said that if we had been seconds later with getting you warmed up again…"

He let the sentence linger, looking away to try and hide the worry he felt resurfacing. He had never been more anxious in his life than he had been at that moment. But she survived. She was right there with him. He squeezed her hand lightly, and was quite surprised when it was squeezed back. He looked back, feeling the knot in his stomach grow. It was this part of the conversation he had been fearing, but it was better to do it now than later. Once others found out she was awake, he reckoned he would hardly be able to be alone with her.

She was looking at him expectantly, and a bit nervous. She probably didn't know what to say. He realised that the look in her eyes could also be described as fear. Fear for what?

"I've been a fool," he started softly. "You… I… The kiss… I couldn't handle it. My family is usually quite strict about the people I interact with. Especially in that area. I tried to push it all away, figuring that if I didn't see or hear you, these emotions would go away. But they didn't. And when I realised you were hurt…"

He gazed into her eyes, the blue orbs that always demanded his attention. He could never look away from those. He swallowed. What if she rejected him? He knew she had the right to, after how he had been treating her.

"I realised… I love you," he brought out, finding his throat suddenly dry. Her eyes widened. For a moment he thought she was going to slap him. He was even more shocked when he saw water heap up in those blue orbs before starting to run down her cheeks. Had he insulted her? Upset her? What had he done wrong? Then she smiled at him, and he was even more confused.

"Humans also cry happy tears," El'is said, unable to stop herself from chuckling at his confused face. She turned more serious then though. "When you ran out on me, I thought you had decided it wasn't worth it. And that you gave up on me. I was angry with you for quite a while. Then sad. I missed you. You see.. I love you too."

Vi'can looked at her for a moment. He just stared, trying to find any trace that what she said was a lie. But it wasn't. She meant it. He leaned in slowly, his mandibles opening and stroking against her cheeks as he kissed her. Kissing her felt wonderful, despite it being far from how Yautja usually kissed. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. He felt her arms slide around his neck as she pressed her body to him.

"I knew it!" a happily excited voice came from the doorway. Both blushing crimson, El'is and Vi'can turned to see M'rid looking at them with a big grin on his face. "Oh I'm sorry, did I interrupt?"

He chuckled, pulling a seat over and sitting down on the other side of the bed.

"Seriously though, you might not want to do that. The council's on its way," he said, looking at his friends. "F'gath told them about your genes. They haven't made a public statement yet."

"Relax," M'rid said good-heartedly. "It's not like they'll make you a Bad Blood. You killed the hybrid! Sure, you have a few genes of it, but that doesn't make you that abomination."

His face darkened a little then and he looked away as if being bitten by his own words. It was then that El'is realised that he must feel hurt that she didn't trust him enough to tell him. She reached out and gently placed her free hand on M'rids. Her other hand was still being held by Vi'can.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't want anyone to know actually, not since I found out it wasn't a good thing. F'gath knows because he knows under what conditions I was born. And Vi'can knew because I blurted it out to him before I knew that it was seen as an abomination. And thus with it, me too."

M'rid frowned a moment before looking back at her. He sighed, then patted her hand and put on a smile. She doubted she had ever seen M'rid really angry, or upset for long.

"I can understand why," he admitted. He looked like he was about to continue, but then footsteps resounded from the hallway. Both youngsters - adult males, El'is reminded herself - let go of her hands and stood up, facing the door.

Moments later, the council came in one by one, wearing their official robes. With them was F'gath. She gave him a small smile as she watched relief wash over his face upon noticing her awake. He nodded briefly to the M'rid and Vi'can, getting a nod in return. He outranked them still by far, but he respected them. And if the way he had seen Vi'can hold El'is after pulling her out of the water had been any indication, he reckoned he would see a lot more of him.

"You're awake. Good," one of the council members. "We've learned you kept some vital information from us. We have not yet judged or decided what the consequences of that will be. We want to know why you kept it a secret first."

El'is sat up a bit more, glad that she was wearing pj's under the blanket.

"I was already having a hard enough time to prove myself as it was," she told them bluntly. "I didn't want to face more prejudices than was necessary, and have you judge me by a few DNA-particles rather than by who I am and what I've accomplished."

She saw N'ter grin. She kept herself from grinning back. She knew he approved of an in-your-face attitude. She didn't do it for his approval though. She wanted to be honest, and wanted to stop them from making a fuss over it. She was herself, no matter what genes she possessed.

"Be that as it may, you should have told us. F'gath also," the council member said sharply.

"Why? So you could try to prove me a failure before I was even given the chance to prove myself?" El'is interrupted. "I have proven myself, and I've taken down a hybrid in the process. Yes, I nearly got killed in the process, but I've survived. I've made my kill and earned my mark. What do a few genes matter after that?"

She saw most of the people in the room look quite shocked. The council wasn't used to being addressed like this. It was respectless. But El'is didn't quite care right now. They had to earn her respect before she showed it to them. So far, they had been nothing but difficult towards her, N'ter excluded. It was that Yautja that spoke up on her behalf.

"She is right," he said carefully, facing the rest of the council as he took up a place between his son and El'is. "She's earned her mark and she stopped the abomination from spreading. She's earned her place in our society. I for one, support her."

El'is tried to push her heart out of her throat and calm herself down. She disliked the fact that they could read her so easily because she was warm-blooded. She smiled at N'ter gratefully though, happy that he took an official stand with her. The council looked at one another. Another member moved to stand next to N'ter. Then another, and another. It didn't take all that long before the council had been divided into two groups. The majority stood on El'is side though.

The one that had kept speaking growled lowly before straightening himself.

"The council has spoken. The human has been accepted," he forced out, though he was clearly displeased with the fact.

El'is broke into a huge smile, looking from one to the other. Life would finally be as it should now. She could start hunting for trophies now, and hang them in her own trophy-room. She could hunt with F'gath, M'rid and Vi'can. Vi'can... She looked at him and smiled warmly, getting a similar smile back. She could be with Vi'can.

--

El'is carefully climbed down the ladder. Once on the ground, she pressed a button, the ladder folding itself, much like Yautja spears did. She looked up. On the wall in front of her, a familiar skull was hanging. It had no eyes, but showed mandibles and a double mouth. Dreadlocks spread from it's face.

Next to it, a smooth skull decorated the wall. It was black in colour and had it's second mouth extended. Her first kills. She smiled proudly. An arm was wrapped around her shoulders. She put her hand on the hand holding her and looked sideways, into Vi'cans face.

"It's a nice start," M'rid commented on her other side. "You've got a lot of work to do though, before you can call yourself a decent hunter."

He laughed as El'is playfully punched his shoulder.

"Well, you won't have that skull," Vi'can said, pointing to the hybrid. "There's only been two. And those that killed them both live under this room. Heck, you can't even say you're dating one of them."

He chuckled before bending his face towards El'is, stroking her cheek with one of his mandibles tenderly. El'is smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning into him.

"None of you will ever fill your trophy-rooms if you keep babbling and cuddling," a voice said behind them. El'is turned and smiled at the one who had made all this possible. He was holding her mask, she noticed.

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding it out to her.

"I'm ready for everything," El'is said, leaving Vi'cans arm and taking her mask. She had never been happier.

((A/N: sequel anyone?

I thank you all for being such fantastic readers and reviewers. Your words have meant the world to me, and have made me find inspiration for the next chapter more than once.))


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